Insufferable
by Blahblah15
Summary: For the first time, he saw her perfectly clear. And that was it. That was all it took to draw him in the last ten meters and snap the rope. He was lost. Absolutely lost. There was no hope now. DM/HG and totally cliche.
1. Memory

**My first HP fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it. ;)**

**Disclaimer- I do not own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter.**

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Slamming his mug down onto the thick wooden table, Draco Malfoy sighed a breath of anger. How on earth could his father suggest something so entirely disgusting, right to his own face? It was just purely out of the question. It would never happen. Not even in his craziest dreams. Maybe nightmares…but not dreams.

With a shake of his head and after running a hand through his hair, Draco brought the mug to his lips again, letting the hot liquid swish into his mouth and roll down his dry throat. His eyes' slipped shut as the ecstasy of the drink flowed down into his body and spread. His mind then reverted back to his previous thoughts of what had happened earlier that wreck of a day.

"Draco," his father started, with a cold, expressionless glint in his eyes, "it is the best thing to do. You must start a family sometime, boy."

If only it was that easy.

Draco's father had then went on to suggest his current love interest. He obviously didn't know that Draco truthfully held no feelings for the girl whatsoever. She was merely an excuse. A person to visit when he needed something to do. A _toy_.

Pansy Parkinson. She was a pureblood, of _course_. Why if she hadn't been, Mr. Malfoy wouldn't have said her name. Not even if he were being threatened with something including his hair and a big, scary, shiny, sharp, pair of scissors. Dreadful, but, yes, it was that important. Pureblood? That's just jolly. Muggle-born? 'No, son, back away from the dirty, filthy, mudblood. It's just not done.'

And to tell the truth, Pansy was not someone who was sought after. Though she was quite pretty, with her fair skin, and dark, shiny black hair, males were easily attracted to her. But in truth, she was…well…how can I put this nicely?

A brainless, shameless, twit.

Sometimes Draco really had to look at her and wonder.

'What in Lord's name is filling that cavity in her head?'

That bad, I tell you. Terrible. You may think you'll never live to see the day when a girl starts to mix up what is living and what is not. Snogging a park bench… I mean, _come on_! (Though Pansy insists, the bench was coming onto _her_.) But…it has been done. Find your calendar and a permenant marker. That was a day in history to be remembered (and usually to be accompanied by a shudder or two…_and_ series of gags).

The door to the Three Broomsticks then flew open, bells chiming as it hit the wall and a loud bang as it fell back shut. Hurried footsteps rushed across the wooden floor, a squeak erupting with each step. And before Draco could examine the brown haired person properly, she had disappeared through another door and into the kitchen. A few shouts then sounded on the other side of the door and Draco smirked. They happened to include a few vulgar comments after the point was made that whoever just burst in the diner, was supposedly very, _very_ late.

And was that a threat to quit, he heard? Maybe that would explain their serious lack of employees.

Draco let his gaze set back on the beverage in his mug. His thoughts tossed around in his jumbled brain as he breathed deep the aroma of the liquid. Apparently he was too busy to notice that the door from the kitchens had been roughly pushed open and a girl, his very age, walked from the room. And without noticing he was there either, she busied herself behind the bar. Picking up a damp towel, she began to wipe down the table, her mind about set on fire after what had just happened between her and her boss.

Draco then downed the rest of the liquid and pushed it towards the waitress, whom he had finally noticed, but not taken any care to look at. The waitress turned on her heal knowing that someone was trying to get her attention, but froze immediately.

Her eyes' fell upon the boy sitting at the bar, his back slumped, and his head hanging. Her face grew into an unconscious glare and she crossed her arms on her chest as she examined, with utter repulsion, the white-blonde hair hanging down in front of the boy's eyes. He brought up his pale hand and ran it through his hair, moving his icy gray eyes' to her face. It was Malfoy.

The bastard of all bastards.

Here.

In this diner.

During her shift.

Oh, how bloody fantastic…

His face automatically wrinkled up and he blinked a few times making sure that he wasn't seeing things. "Granger?" he asked, his voice cold, yet full of surprise. "What in the hell are you doing _here_?" Hermione Granger (the girl who happened to be the waitress) narrowed her eyes' and crossed her arms tighter across her chest in annoyance. He was getting to her already.

"Please, Malfoy," she snapped back. Oh, hell…this was just her day, wasn't it? Like it wasn't enough to toss and turn the entire night before, not get one minute of sleep, come to work abnormally late, threaten to quit, and then _this_!

Someone wanted her to commit suicide. It had to be just that.

Draco chuckled and sat back, folding his hands on the table, a grin spread across his lips. That grin surely meant something bad was coming. Hermione could just feel it. "I see the one and only Granger had trouble finding a job," he stated, his voice drawling and ridiculing. "Or did this just happen to be your first choice?" he added. "I can really see the over abundance of prosperity."

Hermione clenched her fists and walked over to the bar grabbing a bottle. She stood before him, her eyes' narrowed as she forcefully ripped the cork from the bottle and poured some more liquid into his mug. And with a fake smile, she turned on her heel and shoved the bottle back into it's spot, taking her rag again and washing the tables.

"Now, now, mudblood. No need to be hostile. I just simply wonder why the highest ranking student…" he said, but stopped immediately when Hermione turned to face him, her face holding every emotion from anger to annoyance to almost homicidal.

"I have a job lined up, thank you," she finished, her nose rising in the air slightly as she spoke to him.

"Oh I see. And what would that be, Granger?" he questioned, examining the liquid in his cup and then looking back up at the witch before him. His pale eyes' raked over her thin form as she stood there, contemplating whether she should tell him or just simply cut his throat now. Hermione huffed as a small smirk began to tug at the corners of his lips. He _was_ checking her out, no doubt. But smirking! This was just disturbing. It was almost as if the bile was lifting in her throat already. Where _were_ the bloody buckets when she needed them?

"I'm doing further studies."

"And why in the world would you _want_ to do _that_!" he asked, clearly forgetting that this was Hermione Granger he was speaking to.

"To be a professor, now drink your alcohol and get out," Hermione seethed, as she turned her back to him. Her stomach felt as if it were about to explode. Her fingers raced with trembles. Her breath came in short, shallow pants. And in the midst of all these strange things happening, Hermione insisted to herself that she felt as sick as a little boy who'd just drank a gallon of whole milk.

She couldn't take his piercing gaze on her body any longer. It was downright nauseating.

"My, my, aren't we the chipper one this morning," he drawled, taking another sip from his mug, never tearing his eyes' from her. Draco couldn't remember Hermione ever looking as she did now. But when he remembered the large cloaks they had to wear in Hogwarts, he nodded to himself. Too bad those years were wasted torturing her. Draco could never come to terms with the odd satisfaction of seeing her riled up though. So he just dusted it to the back of his mind to be forgotten.

"Depends on how you would define that…" she grumbled as she began to pull out bottles from under the bar and place them on the counter behind her.

"What was that?" Draco asked, his smirk reaching ear to ear as she fumbled with everything in site. Hermione silently shook her head and scoffed.

'That arrogant, detestable, vain…' she thought as he stood from his spot and proceeded to stand on his tiptoes and stretch his back. Draco let out a loud groan and sighed, placing a few sickles down on the counter. He then picked up his black robe and after straightening out his sweater and tie, turned from the counter and began to walk towards the door.

His thin, lanky body then silently stopped in its tracks and turned to glance back at Hermione as she cleaned a few tables around the room. "Wonderful talking with you, Granger, really. But I _must_ be back to work," he said before smirking widely and walking out the door into the chilling fall wind.

* * *

"Uck! I can't believe him!" Hermione growled as she walked into the small shop in Hogsmeade with her best friend at her side. Harry smiled, breathing in the sweet smells of the shop as he began to look around. 

"Can't believe who?" he asked subconsciously as a girl no older thanthirteen grinned at him from afar. This, he got this often.

"I'll give you one guess." Hermione swayed one finger in front of Harry's face as she walked.

"Ron?"

"No." Harry shrugged. "Malfoy," Hermione said, her tone low, yet dangerous. Harry raised an eyebrow and turned to look at her.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes, the one and only. He came into theThree Broomsticks this morning," she said, disgust dripping from every last word.

"What happened?" Harry asked, stopping beside a shelf to examine a new gadget that had just come out on the wizarding market. Hermione threw her hands in the air.

"Oh, you know. Same old person as he was. I really thought that after three years of not seeing him, would have lowered my hate for him, but apparently not." Harry chuckled and motioned for her to go on. "He made wisecracks about me working there. Then he proceeded to stare me down and smirk in that appalling way of his."

By the way that Hermione was going on about Draco Malfoy, it may seem to any person that he was really not that attractive at all. But in truth, he was considered a very handsome man, with his silky white-blonde hair, his flawless pale skin, and his thin, tall stature. He was quite the man. Yet…when it came to considering his asshole personality, any sane girl who knew him would run away (along the way, picking up something _very_ sharp for protection). Though no one could deny that he could be amazingly charming when he decided to be…which was not often.

"I just cannot believe him. That's all." Hermione sighed as she picked up a new version of a rememberall and cocked an eyebrow. She could get some wonderful use out of this... But with an annoyed sigh, she placed it back on the shelf and proceeded to roam around the shop, Harry right behind her. "I guess people really can never change, can they Harry?"

"Not in his case, at least," he murmured as they made their way out of the shop and began to lazily walk down the narrow, cobblestone street. The fall air began to blow through their hair, as a few owls flew over head. Hermione smiled lightly as she saw the children pouring in and out of Honeydukes. Only three or four years ago, she and Harry would have been one of those many kids with wide smiles and awe gracing their young faces. It really only seemed like yesterday. "So how are your studies going?"

Hermione waved her arm in a dismissive manner. "Fine, I guess." Harry rose an eyebrow. "I just wish that it would go a bit quicker. I mean…we have been out of Hogwarts for a little over three years."

"And you're excited to go _back_?" Hermione's lips curved into a embarrassed smile.

"Well…I am a bit excited. To teach, I mean." Teaching had never really been her dream, but when Dumbledore offered her...shecould neverrefuse the old bugger! He had always been too kind to her and Hermione just didn't have the heart to let him down.

"Do you have a simple idea on _what_ you are teaching?"

"I don't assume that I get to choose exactly what I teach. I just hope that it's not divination or something…" Harry let out a hearty laugh and shook his head as Hermione grinned and looked away. He clearly remembered the day when Hermione arose from her seat and stormed out of the classroom, leaving their excentric teacher, Professor Trelawney, wondering what on earth she had done. "Dumbledore has more sense than that Harry…he knows what I think about that class," she said, adding a quiet, 'dreadful rubbish,' under her breath. "Anyway, how is being an Auror going?"

Harry shrugged and heaved a sigh. His vivid green eyes' searched the street around him before he began. "Oh, I love it. It's wonderful…but," he started, his tone becoming spiteful. "Ginny complains. She insists that I'm going to get myself hurt or whatever she rambles on about."

"Oh?" Harry nodded and Hermione continued. "What are you going to do?" she asked, her eyes' set on the ground as she silently kicked a pebble before her as she walked.

"Well…nothing, she's just got to understand that I'm happy with my profession. I tried to get Ron to persuade some sense into her, but it's useless."

Hermione jumped and she cast her gaze over to Harry, a joyful twinkle in her eye. "How is Ron these days? I haven't seen him in ages!"

"I'm not exactly sure. That was a few weeks ago since I last saw him, but I assume he's doing alright." Hermione nodded and cast her gaze back down to the ground.

* * *

With a loud gulp, Hermione swallowed down the rest of her hot cocoa and slipped the cup into the sink. Grasping her wand from her back pocket, she set a quick spell on the dishes. As soon as she did,the brushes picked themselves up and began brushing away at the dirty dishes. She grinned and walked back down the hall to her bedroom, her feet chilled slighty against the wood floor. 

As she arrived in the doorway, she stopped immediately and let her jaw drop open. There on her windowsill was a very large eagle owl. It was looking towards her bed and after seeing Hermione, it hooted softly and soared out into the night. It's wings were heard flapping in the distance as she slowly walked over to the bed and picked up a small, rolled up parchment, tied with a thin green and silver ribbon. What in the world…

Hermione carefully pulled at the string and let it fall to her bed as she unrolled the parchment. It seemed to be a short note, the writing small and curvy. By God, a doctor might as well of written the note. Lord knows they have the hardest handwriting to read. Discrimination, I know. But it's true.

With a confused glint in her eyes,' Hermione raised her eyebrows and began to read the writing.

_Miss Granger,_

Seems polite. Worthy of going on I assume.

_I am ashamed for not taking the time today to speak to you further. And with a bit over three years over our heads from graduation, I find that you have changed little._

How observant.

_Obviously you must have been dying to ask me questions about my life now. Who wouldn't be? I do hold a very endearing job (and the money profit is something that anyone would like to get their hands on). I feel absolutely terrible for leaving you hanging. And although the fanmail can be a bit too much at times (and the women chasing me on the streets – though I have no idea why they usually hold some sort of weapon)…we must meet again. Tomorrow. 7:30 PM. In front of the Shrieking Shack, Granger. Be there._

_Mister Draco Malfoy_

_Best Hair on this side of England_

Hermione soon found herself lying back down on her bed. Her stomach was aching from the fits of laughter that kept erupting from her throat. This had to be a joke. A very cruel joke.

Though, somehow, she believed it. It was just like him.

Hermione read the last few lines again. One specific part sticking out in her mind. He seemed awfully demanding. But if she didn't go, she knew it would be much worse.

"Oh, bloody fuck."

* * *

**Please tell me what you think! **


	2. Past

**Disclaimer - I do not own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter.  
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Hermione shuttered as a draft of cold autumn air washed across her face. She slowly cracked her eyes' open and let her gaze rest upon the window of her bedroom. All the leaves hanging from the branches of the trees were shaded brilliantly in hues of yellow, orange, red, and brown. Smiling absentmindedly, she lazily let her legs fall over the edge of the bed and placed her bare feet upon the small woven bedside carpet. Her eyes' slipped shut momentarily as she stood from her bed and breathed deeply, the sweet scent of cinnamon and apples seeping around her.

Cinnamon and apples. Her _favorite_.

Moping over to her wardrobe, she pulled open the heavy wooden doors and pushed them to the side. She then began to finger her way through her folded sweaters, shirts, and pants. Choosing a pair of normal, everyday pants, she pulled out a deep, blood red sweater (one that she wore for these particularly frigid days, so it was quite worn in) and a matching cloak. She then plucked a single pair of woolen socks from the top drawer and smiled happily as she set her clothes onto the bed…only to remember the night before and a certain, _presumptuous_ note.

Hermione huffed and sat down on the corner of her bed. She rest her chin in her hands as she placed her elbows on her knees.

This was _Malfoy_. And just thinking his name was a stab in the heart. A painful stab with a frozen, searing, dagger. Too much to withstand and too hurtful to forget. She could almost see the sharp blade as she blinked and let her eyes' rest shut. It was a nightmare that came hurdling back every time she thought about Hogwarts. She could never escape the drear of it and she never expected to be able to. But…

She was going to meet Malfoy today. She just couldn't…not go! It would be entirely rude _and_ most unbecoming of herself. Though…what about all the times he had been so rude to her? What about the tears that would pour from her eyes' all because of him? What about the torture he caused to Harry and Ron? What about the name that danced constantly around her mind as she remembered back to those days?

"Filthy mudblood…" 

Stupid prat. How she just wanted to grab a hold of his neck and just squeeze…

She couldn't go. Nope. And Malfoy would just have to deal with Hermione Granger standing him up…however, what would happen if she did let him wait there for her while she was not to be coming?

Hermione shuttered for the second time that morning and sighed heavily. Standing from her spot, she shed her nightclothes and pulled her pair of pants on and tugged the sweater down over her head. She quickly flipped her head upside down and tied a red and gold ribbon tightly around her hair, keeping it in a ponytail. After three years, she was still proud to this day of her house in Hogwarts. Gryffindor, the house she had shared with Harry, Ron, and many of her other friends. Smiling lightly at the memories of the _good_ times at Hogwarts, Hermione gathered her black cloak and pulled it around her shoulders, clasping it at the front.

Hermione walked her way down her hallway and after grasping an apple from the basket on her table, she stepped out her front door. Her slender hands then poked out from behind the cloak and pulled the hood up over her head to shelter her from the wind. With a quick shiver she stepped off her front step and began walking down a narrow path through the forest, only to end up on a cobblestone street. It was the same cobblestone street that led right through Hogsmeade and past her destination.

Zonkos.

The place where she could find the cheering up she definitely needed.

Smiling widely, she stopped before the door of the shop and sighed a breath of relief as she looked up at the sign. Then, pushing the door open she walked into the shop, only to be mauled by a few trick spiders that had been set above the entrance. Their furry bodies rubbed against her skin and their many legs tangled in her hair, causing her body to tremble with disturbed shivers. This was revolting. Wasn't Halloween about a month ago?

Hermione let out a frightened squeak and clutched her chest softly. But noticing it was only a joke, she blinked a few times and glared at the two redheads standing behind the desk at the back of the shop. Their eyes' widened with surprise at seeing their friend and they smiled, laughter dancing across their expressions. She was going to murder those two…

Hmm, lets see…a pot of boiling acid should be good…maybe some Tabasco sauce too…

She let her gaze drop to the floor as she walked towards them and grinned, chuckling lightly at her insane thoughts. Those two were a handful. Yet, Hermione had to admit that life would be much more tedious without the two buggers.

"You know," she started holding up her index finger to the boys, who were towering above her, "you are very lucky that it was me walking through those doors." Fred and George exchanged confused glances and looked back to her. Hermione shook her head. They both stood there, looking at her with the exact same questioning look on their faces. Anyone who didn't know the two Weasley twins would of blinked numerous times and asked themselves, 'my Lord, what did I drink last night?' But Hermione just shook it off and smiled, crossing her arms on her chest.

"What do you mean-," George started.

"By _that_?" Fred finished and then went on to add, "I think we were entirely lucky that it was _you_."

"Anyone else would have throttled us by now," George stated, a grin creeping upon his thin lips. These two were hilarious. Always seemed to finish thoughts for the other. If one were to close their eyes,' it would almost be impossible to tell there were two!

"Yes, including Ron!" Hermione said, a laugh escaping from her throat. George smirked maliciously and cast his brother a sidelong glance. Fred chuckled and walked to the other end of the table as a young man was standing there, a question on his mind.

"We all know his _fascination_ with spiders!" George teased as he shook his head and looked to his brother, who had stopped his conversation with the boy to add a, 'we got him a pet tarantula for his birthday.' Nodding, George said, "we just _hope_ he likes it," he finished with a sly grin sparkling on his face. Hermione shook her head and laughed, making her way around Zonkos, a shop based solely on practical pranks and jokes. It wasn't exactly the store for her, but when two of her greatest friends owned the place, she could do nothing less that give them a visit _once_ in a while. And before Hermione could go far around the aisles and stands, a young boy had run in, dropped a newspaper on the table, and while lugging the rest of his newspapers, walked on out to visit the next shop.

Fred picked up the newspaper now that his customer had paid and was gone with his new fake wand. His smile fell slowly as he read one of the top headlines of the _Daily Prophet_. Hermione turned and watched him when she noticed that his laughter had died down. His eyes were widened and George was looking over his shoulder, the same nerved look in his eyes.' "What is it?" Hermione asked, walking over to the twins and standing beside them, trying to read the article.

Fred began to read the article aloud.

"Two young children have been declared officially missing today when their mother informed law enforcers. She was crying and pleading desperately that anyone find her children of ages six and ten. Supposedly, the two children had been roaming the streets of Hogsmeade (after spending many coins in Zonko's) and never returned to their mother. The two were last seen walking into the woods, following the path that leads right up to England's most haunted building, the Shrieking Shack. Any information on the children would be greatly appreciated."

On the way to the Shrieking Shack? Oh no. This had to be a coincidence. A very, very big coincidence. Hermione's mouth dropped and she read it again before she let her voice come out in a stammer. "W-what could have happened?" she asked, cocking her head to the side as she looked up to Fred and George. Both shrugged in unison and muttered something to themselves. "What was that?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing."

"We didn't say anything," George added, his voice seemed very suspicious for some reason. Hermione sighed and began to tap her foot on the floor beside her as she crossed her arms on her chest and narrowed her eyes' at the Weasley twins. They were keeping something from her. She could tell by the way they both seemed to flash their eyes' in her direction and smile nervously. Yes. They were definitely up to something.

"Alright…" Hermione mumbled skeptically. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." The twins both shot their heads up (surprisingly not suffering from whiplash) and widened their eyes.

"We're not hiding anything!"

Right…

"What would make you think that?" Fred asked, fumbling with his hands and then shoving them in his pockets as the two of them smiled innocently.

"Oh…nothing…" Shaking her head, Hermione turned and walked towards the door. But she soon stopped in her tracks and smiled, hoping to get some information out of them. "I'm meeting Malfoy at 7:30, you know."

"What!" Fred and George shouted in unison. Hermione smiled wider, a cunning glint in her chocolate brown eyes.'

"Yes," she answered, stretching her arm and holding her arm out before her as she examined her nails.

"Why!" the both asked again. Hermione chuckled lightly. They had always acted as if they were the big brothers she never had. Not that she had ever wanted any…

"He owled me. So I'm going to see him."

The two twins looked like they were about to burst. "That is ridiculous!" Fred bellowed, his face turning red and frantic in the midst of this shocking news.

"Poposterous!" George added, throwing his arms in the air.

"Ludicrous!"

"Foolish!" Hermione burst out laughing and threw her hand over her mouth as she put her other hand on the wall for support.

"I get the point," she said, chuckles still escaping from her throat.

"Well!" they both shouted, ready to chase Malfoy down and beat him senseless.

"I'm meeting him tonight…" Fred and George's faces might as well of turned to stone. They stared at her, their eyes' burning with anger as they both pictured the sight of her with Malfoy. In their opinion, Hermione seemed to have lost all her senses…and maybe her entire memory at that. And then she began again, finishing the statement she had started, "in front of the Shrieking Shack." With a satisfied smile, Hermione turned on her heel and walked from Zonko's as the twins stood rooted in theirs spots, their jaws dropping and about burying themselves six feet under ground.

* * *

After moping around for the rest of the afternoon and dreading the come of 7:30, Hermione had visited Harry once again at their usual meeting spot on his days off from work. She had told him everything about the letter, how she received the letter, and proceeded to burst out in hysterics. Harry laughed and nodded, believing every word of it and not doubting that Hermione was telling the truth the entire time. Draco Malfoy had always been overly arrogant and proud of himself. He always seemed to think he was king of the entire wizarding world, not paying any attention to real life. So Harry had no problem believing her and laughing about it. 

She then went on and told him over a late dinner what had happened at Zonko's. Harry's eyes were narrowed and he raised an eyebrow, agreeing that there was something Fred and George Weasley were keeping from them. But he went on to remind Hermione of fourth year, when the two twins seemed to always be doing something in secret. Those 'doings in secret' were only ever revolving around their new products for Zonko's, however. So after thinking it over himself and presenting the facts about the twins, Harry came to the conclusion that the two boys were up to something, but something that was entirely unimportant to them.

Hermione agreed swiftly. Those two were just downright sketchy. But nothing too much to lose sleep over.

Pulling her cloak to her body closer, Hermione inhaled sharply as she held her wand before her. The sun was setting and the cold, blustery air was turning quite dark. "Lumos!" she breathed, a white light appearing at the end of her wand and brightening the path up for her. She smiled deftly and proceeded down the leave-covered path. Her body trembled as she made her way into the clearing and leant up against the fence. She thought about the article. Had it really happened? Or was it just a coincidence like she insisted earlier? Or maybe it was even just a rumor that had gotten far out of hand in the hands of a reporter like Rita Skeeter.

Sounds bumped and moved around her as she held her wand close to her body and kept her body frozen. A few footsteps then began echoing in her ears. Someone was coming. Her breath was caught in her throat as her head began snapping around in various directions, watching for whoever was out there. It was coming closer. Much closer. Hermione squeezed her eyes' shut as she began to shake in her shoes. Then she could feel it. Breath. Hot, moist breath, breathing down her neck. Hermione's eyes' flew open and her mouth dropped open as she pleaded for her life.

What a drama queen… Shall we get the coffin ready or do you think she would like to pick it out herself?

Slowly and cautiously, she turned and drew her wand, pointing it at whomever, or whatever, was standing behind her. "Lumos!" she shouted, her wand glowing brighter. She then began to lift her wand, seeing a black cloak. A green tie. A very pale, slender neck. Light, pink lips. A nose…just a normal nose. And icy gray eyes,' filled with amusement. Hermione squeaked and jumped back, her eyes' now reaching the shiny, soft, white-blonde hair falling about his eyes.'

"Why, hello, Granger. Nice to see you too," Draco whispered, as though he didn't want to scare the being away that was frightening Hermione. She then glared at him and pulled her wand back, still holding it up so she could see. Well, it was about time he arrived. And if he was smart, he wouldn't have.

"What the hell, Malfoy!" she seethed, her eyes' burning with fury. She stood rooted in her spot, staring up at the wizard standing in front of her. His lips were curved into a devious smirk and his eyes sparkled with mirth as she held her wand at him again.

"Granger, please, point that _thing_ somewhere else," he said, eyeing the wand in her hand and running a hand through his silky hair.

'It looks so silky…maybe I can just touch his hair once…he won't mind – ARGH! Get a hold of yourself! This is freaking Draco bloody bastard Malfoy! You want to stranglethe deranged lunatic!' Hermione huffed and lowered her wand slightly as she shook away her aggravating thoughts. "Look at it, Malfoy! The air is black out here!" she shouted.

"Yes, _that_ tends to happen at night," he answered, raising an eyebrow and smirking wider.

"Why you-," she started stepping closer to him, but was cut off. Draco held his hands up and took a step back.

"Whoa, Granger, I _have_ a life to go back to." Hermione took a step back, her hands crumpling into fists, and her face tightening with anger. What in the world had she gotten herself into?

"Malfoy," she seethed through clenched teeth. "What do you want?" Malfoy shrugged and took his wand from his back pocket, muttering the spell, and lighting up his own path as he began to walk. Hermione cocked an eyebrow and ran up to his side.

"Nothing more, just to talk to you. I've been wondering how you, potty, and the weasel were doing."

And I went to the winter ball dressed as William Shakespeare...

"Good Lord, Malfoy, you ferret!" Draco raised a finger and pointed it at her in blame.

"You never forget anything, do you?" Hermione scoffed and shook her head as she walked a good two feet away from his side. "Well, Granger, _I_ don't either."

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean!" she questioned, grabbing his arm and causing him to stop. She stood before him, her eyes' narrowed and her hands resting on her hips. "What. Is. It. Suppos-," she began, saying it slowly so his dense mind could comprehend.

"I _know_ what you asked, Granger!" he questioned.

'That fucking prat!' she screamed mentally. "Then answer me!" she shouted taking a rushed step towards him, their faces merely inches apart.

"What do _you_ think it means?" he asked, his cool demeanor falling in shambles. She was like a bomb, buried under his thick layers of stone. A bomb that could hurt him, break him, and end it all there and then. With one simple problem, he would explode and fall to ruin. And it was all because of her. The seemingly harmless, little witch. Who, indeed, knew just how to make him tick.

"I don't know what it means! That's why I asked _you_!" she shouted, placing a finger on his chest and proceeding to push him back, trying to ignore the surges of electricity that raced through her finger and into her body. Her shoulders trembled slightly and she jerked them as she began to push him back.

What in God's name was _wrong_ with her?

"Give it up, Granger!" he barked back, also trying to ignore the warmth that seeped into his skin as she lay her finger upon his chest. It was a strange feeling, nothing he had felt before. And it was also oddly addictive… His brain seemed to go blank for a moment and his throat tightened as he began to take steps back as she pushed him.

"Ugh! You are so _difficult_!" she yelled, poking him harder than before. That's it. Draco couldn't bear it anymore. It felt too good. Too good to be right.

"Don't do that!" he growled, grasping her wrist and…

It was like an explosion of white light. The two then fell back into darkness and saw no more. Felt no more. Heard no more. Everything was gone. Each one was alone in a world of utter gloom and both began to panic. Their skin was cold and felt chilled to the point of forming frost at the smallest threat of moisture. And as quickly as it had happened, both had fallen back into light and landed hard on a wooden floor.

Hermione groaned and brought her hand up to her head, which throbbed immensely. It felt as if she had been knocked out with a sledgehammer. Pain coursed through her body as she slowly sat up and cracked open one eye. Where was she? Hermione blinked to clear away to fog and looked around, massaging her head as she stood up from the floor. She was in a room and by the looks of the land out the window, she was back at Hogwarts. Slowly, she took a wobbly step forward and furrowed her eyebrows. The room seemed to be a bedroom, colored in red and gold. Looking around, Hermione noticed that all of her stuff from her years at Hogwarts were there…as if she had been living there for months.

Cocking an eyebrow, Hermione walked out of the room and into a cozy, common room. In the corner there was a few bookcases and a large desk with two chairs sitting side by side. On the opposite wall there was a fireplace with a large, plush couch and a loveseat angled next to it. Walking over to the desk, Hermione picked up a book and pulled a piece of paper that was sticking from between the pages. Up in the right hand corner, the words "_Draco Malfoy, Head Boy_," were written neatly.

Hermione's eyes widened. She picked up another book at the opposite end of the table. Taking a piece of paper from that book, she read the top corner. "_Hermione Granger, Head Girl_." But wait. Hermione had never been head girl. Of course she was offered, but she had decided not to take the position since she was, well, going to be working with Malfoy. As she read the paper, she noticed her hands. And arms. And body. She was younger and looked not a day older than seventeen.

Just then, a seventeen year old, Draco Malfoy came walking from his room, a confused expression plastered across his face. He was looking at his arms and clothes, before he lifted his gray eyes' and cocked an eyebrow at Hermione.

Hermione understood. They were back in bloody time! Back to the seventh year of their Hogwarts careers. And she was in the position that she had turned down long ago…for the sake of her own sanity of course. But…_why_?

Hermione blinked and formed a weak smile as Draco stared at her.

This is just bloody _fabulous_…

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Hope you all liked it! _Please_ review! **


	3. Helpless

**Hi! I hope you are all doing great.**

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter.**

**A/N: Okay I was asked to go over the scene in front of the Shrieking Shack. Well, okay Hermione arrived and waited beside the fence. Then she hears someone coming. She gets very nerved thinking she's going to die or something, because of the drama queen that she is. So then she feels someone breathing down her neck and she turns around and lifts her wand, slowly revealing to her that it's only Draco. They talk, fight, etc. and then start walking and then more talking, fighting, etc. and when he grabs her wrist to get her to stop poking him, a flash of white light appears and then everything goes black. They feel like they are falling. The can't hear or see and they feel very cold and basically really nerved. Then they find themselves landing on the floor in what is their bedrooms at Hogwarts.**

**I hope that explains it all.**

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Hermione and Draco stood there, rooted in their spots. Shock was written across their faces as they stared at each other, neither speaking a word to the other. Each had thoughts buzzing through their minds, bouncing around and knocking off each side with a loud thud, as they felt their breath caught in their throats.

What the hell had happened? This really couldn't be happening…could it?

Draco Malfoy was truly bewildered.

He blinked and took a slow step forward toward Hermione, who took a small step back. His gray eyes slid around the room as he took another step forward. He slowly let his lips part before uttering a few quite words.

"_What_ did you do, Granger?" he asked, his eyes flashing with anger. Hermione's eyes flew back to his and she blinked, a scowl resting upon her expression. She rest her hands on her hips and cocked an eyebrow at the blonde haired boy standing only feet away from her.

"You think _I _did this?" she questioned, taking another look around the room and resting her confused expression upon his. Draco shrugged and walked towards a wooden door across the room. "Where are you going?" Hermione said, jumping and running up behind him. Draco cast a sidelong glance at the witch beside him and stopped at the door, opened it and walked out, Hermione right behind him. "I said, 'where are you-,'" she started again, her voice becoming tense, yet…worried? No. _No_. It couldn't be. Why in the world would she be _worried_? Ha-ha. Yeah, right.

"I'm going to find Dumbledore," Draco stated simply. Hermione nodded absently and looked ahead of her as she walked down the hall. It was truly wonderful to be back. The stone corridors, no matter how cold or dreary they seemed, were like home and Hermione loved it. Draco on the other hand, well…it wasn't exactly a holiday. Hogwarts had never been his favorite place in the world.

Anyway, back to matters at hand.

Hermione froze and crossed her arms on her chest. "Malfoy?"

"What?" he asked exasperatedly, while throwing his arms in the air and turning to look at her. Hermione stammered as he looked at her with an expecting expression. Draco blinked, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" he asked, his voice never wavering.

"Well…what are we going to do! Just tell Dumbledore that we 'fell into the past'!" Draco nodded and turned walking further down the corridor, his shadow following him as the flames upon the torches danced and sparked. "He's going to think we've gone mental!" she said, running up to his side and looking at him with his widened eyes.

"Knowing Dumbledore, he has something to do with this," Draco said flatly as he cast another sidelong glance at Hermione, who was positively shaking in her clothes from worry. It was as if he almost felt like calming her. He felt like turning to her and telling her that everything would be okay. But…that could just not be done. He had a reputation to keep up. Comforting Hermione Granger, _insufferable_ know-it-all, would be a _dire_ mistake. She'd probably just throw his comments back into his face anyway…

"Malfoy, you don't know that," Hermione said slowly as she walked by his side. Her strides were long and hurried as she tried to keep beside the Slytherin. He seemed to be quite calm, how that was to be, Hermione didn't know for the life of her. It didn't seem like him. Hermione sighed as he kept moving, not acknowledging her voice or words whatsoever. Okay. That's it. She quickly grabbed his arm, pulling him to a stop and stood before him.

"What the hell, Granger!" he said, trying to refrain from shouting and gathering attention. (Not that there wasanyone in the halls...) His eyes were icy as he glared at her and snatched his arm away, beginning to walk down the corridor again. Hermione huffed and ran back up to his side, resting her annoyed glare on his stern face.

How dense could the prat get!

"We cannot just waltz into his office and ask him why we are back in time, Malfoy!" she seethed, her tone low and dangerous. "It would be foolish!" she yelped, her voice echoing in the hall. Draco pursed his lips as he quickened his strides, his shoes clicking on the stone floor with every step. Hermione could tell that he was becoming annoyed. _Very_ annoyed, but as if that was enough to stop her. She quickly grasped his arm and pulled him hard, pushing him up against the wall as she kept both hands locked on his arms. His face softened for a moment before going stone cold again and scowling at her like there was no tomorrow.

"I thought you would have known better, Malfoy. Let's just play along with things for a while." Draco glared for a moment longer before shaking her hands off as if she were infected with some sort of disease, though the real reason was another. Her hands were too warm. Simple as that. Her small hands on his arms were too warm. It felt good and Draco despised that it did. He wasn't going to let himself go soft on Hermione Granger. No way.

"Granger," he started, absolutely no trace of emotion in his voice whatsoever. "I want to know why this has happened." Draco took a short step forward, their faces merely inches apart.

Hermione almost swayed. His scent…it was intoxicating. It was a mixture of cinnamon and…apples? Now isn't that odd. But no matter how odd it was…it definitely smelt very, _very_ good.

"And I'm not going to stop until I find out _why_." With that he stepped away and began his walk down the corridor and around a corner. Hermione screeched lowly to herself and stomped a foot on the floor. How the hell could this get any worse!

And then just as though a small light bulb went off in her head, she smirked and ran up to the corner. She stood at the side and took out her wand, aiming it at a certain arrogant bastard walking down the corridor, his hair bouncing slightly as he stepped. Hermione muttered a quick spell and just like that, Malfoy stopped, literally frozen in his spot. With another sly smirk, Hermione slowly walked up to his side and turned her head looking up to him. His eyes were moving rapidly and Hermione chuckled lightly.

This could be _really_ interesting...

"I'm really sorry it had to come to this, Malfoy. But I cannot let you make a fool out of us…I-I mean me," she explained, covering herself up and trying to make sure it didn't look like she were worried about his reputation also...though...maybe she could use his reputation (and his obsession with it) against him. "And what if it got out, Malfoy? _Hmm_?" she asked, slowly stepping before him and looking him in the eye as he watched her, his eyes, no doubt, filled with anger. "What would _Pansy_ think if you thought you were in the past?" Hermione asked, her smirk about ear to ear now. "I don't think that'd be too helpful for your _reputation_…would it?"

What a moment this was. Draco Malfoy, helpless and under control.

"It would be _all_ over Hogwarts, Malfoy," Hermione finished, a twinkle in her eye. She had him. She knew it. No way would Malfoy do something so ridiculous in fear of ruining what he had so _wonderfully_ built up over the years. "Now," Hermione squeaked, twirling her wand in between her fingers. "I could just leave you here. Should I?" she asked, resting her hands on her hips and raising her eyebrows. "Let someone else come to the aid of our _favorite_ Slytherin?" she added, walking around him and stopping behind him. "I think so."

And with that she walked down the corridor towards the common room and just as she turned the corner, she halted her steps and smirked. Peeking around the corner and with a flick of her wand, she undid the spell. Then as soon as she saw him move the slightest she bolted down the hall, her steps light and soft as she held her laughs in.

Draco gasped immediately as the spell was removed. His mind was still stuck on the odd feeling curling in his stomach and how his throat had tightened when she was speaking to him. But once he gained his senses back, he quickly turned on his heel and groaned, letting his head fall back. Hermione Granger was not going to get away with this. Definitely not. Even if he had to chase her down in the corridors of Hogwarts.

Hermione soon arrived back at the painting to the heads common room and scolded herself for not asking the kind gentleman in the painting for the password. This wasn't good. Draco was surely going to catch her now. And before long, her suspicions were found true. He turned the corner, his footsteps in a rapid beat as he made his way closer and closer to her. "I bet you think that was terribly funny, didn't you?" he called, slowing his pace and walking up behind her.

"Hermione!" an extremely familiar voice sounded. Hermione smiled brightly and turned, seeing Harry walking down the hallway towards her. Draco paused in his steps, damning Harry Potter and everything about him. Though…why he was angry with him ending up there and now…Draco could not even admit to himself, let alone anyone else. "I was just coming to see you!" Harry said, stopping before Hermione and smiling. "What's wrong?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Nothing! Nothing at all!" Hermione replied quickly as she plastered a fake smile across her face. "We just, er…forgot our password."

"What!" Harry replied, receiving a cold sneer from Malfoy.

"Yeah…" Hermione snorted and laughed, feigning her own stupidity.

"It's 'Slytherdor,' remember?" Harry asked as the painting slid to the side.

"Oh?"

That's an _interesting _name.

"Oh! Yes, yes, yes. I remember, Harry."

Without warning, Draco suddenly stepped up to Harry, looking down on him. "How the hell did _you_ get the password, Potter!" he asked, his voice slow and dangerous as he said Harry's name with utter disgust. Harry took a step back and eyed Draco, not really sure whether or not he should follow Hermione in since she had already entered.

"Hermione told me," he answered reluctantly.

"Well it will be changing soon," Draco stated coldly as he walked through the portrait hole and closed it behind him.

Hermione had plopped down on the couch, her head in her hands. "Harry?" she asked, turning around but only seeing Draco walking through the hole. "Where's Harry?" she inquired, feeling no doubt whatsoever that Draco threatened himor scared him away.

"Potty had to be somewhere," he drawled, sitting down on the other side of the couch.

"What did you do!" Hermione snapped back, shooting up from her spot and crossing her arms on her chest. Draco stood up and walked towards his bedroom, muttering something along the way. "Bastard…" she said, only to get a 'I heard that, Granger,' from the tall, lanky form now closing his bedroom door behind him. With a scowl and a huff, Hermione went to her room, searching for a sweater to place over her white button up shirt and her red and gold tie. She soon found one in her drawers and pulled it over her head, reveling in the warmth it provided her.

And try as she might, she could not scrape her mind off of what had happened. What was she to do? She and Draco were now stuck in the past, with no more of a plan then to play along and pretend everything was normal as ever. Good Lord, would they ever find out what had happened and why they were there?

Hermione shook her head to herself. This was impossible. How was she going to live without going completely insane!

She soon found herself roaming the halls of Hogwarts. Stopping at a large window, Hermione smiled faintly, seeing Hagrid's small hut set in the distance. Memories upon memories came flooding back to her as she leant up against the wall and rest her chin on her arm, which was lying on the sill.

"Miss Granger!" Hermione spun around and smiled widely as she saw Dumbledore scurrying down the corridor towards her.

"Professor Dumbledore! How are you?" she asked, walking up to him and clasping her hands behind her back.

"Miss Granger, I just wanted to inform you that there will be a special meeting tomorrow morning at 8:00. I believe it is time to start planning the Yule ball. It is only a month away, my dear, head girl." Hermione nodded and smiled.

"Of course."

"So, if you please, inform Mr. Malfoy and the prefects on the matter."

"Yes, of course, Professor."

"Fantastic. Enjoy your evening, Miss Granger." And with that, Hermione smiled kindly and bid him goodbye.

And so the start of Hermione's worst fears.

Working with Goddamn Malfoy.

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Sorry it's SO short. **


	4. Deprivation

**Hello. I hope you all are doing well.**

**Thank you all for the reviews! I LOVE YOU ALL!**

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter.**

**A/N- Okay, Hermione may seem out of character…but we all know the crazy things that can and will go wrong with her from living with Malfoy. Oh Lord knows. Ha-ha-ha. (evil grin)****

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Hermione shifted under her sheets as Crookshanks softly leapt upon her mattress. The cat strolled around her and set it's eyes on the moving form of Hermione's legs underneath the blankets. Without hesitation, the cat launched and began its attack on the girl's legs, baring its claws like a vicious animal on drugs.

Really…

This cat was a little creepy.

The cat (or pig with hair, as Ron said) pawed again at the sheets, causing Hermione to squeal with pain as she jumped and…. Fell flat on her face. She had toppled from her bed and when the cold floor came in contact with her face, Hermione let out a groan as if she were being tortured to no end. "Beautiful…" she muttered as she peeled her face from the floor and managed to stand up. "Damn cat," Hermione added, wondering why she shouldn't just hex the cat now and never see it again.

At least that would keep its damn claws away from her…

After plucking a few things from her trunk, she went to the bathroom and took a quick shower. Hermione dressed quickly and proceeded to mutter a colorful array of words (yes, Hermione was having a particularly bad day) as she walked to Draco's bedroom door and stopped, eyeing it as if it were to lash at her with it's claws. Not that it had any. "Malfoy, you bastard, get out here!" she said in a raised voice as she reluctantly pounded on Draco's bedroom door. Then for the next few seconds, she pulled her hand away and waited.

Silence.

"Dammit, Malfoy, we have a meeting in thirty minutes!" she added, balling up both fists and pounding on the door, ready to tear it down and barge into his room. But before her fists could abuse the door much more, it swung open and revealed a very…disturbed looking certain Slytherin. His eyes were stone cold and his expression, dead serious.

"Terribly sorry to interrupt your _beauty_ sleep, Malfoy, but we, as in you and me, head-boy and head-girl, Granger and Malfoy…." Hermione paused and placed herfingers over her lips before swallowing and beginning again, "I think I just threw up in my mouth a little," she whispered to herself, disgustedly. The head-girl shook her head and finally finished her sentence "…anyway, we have a meeting in thirty minutes." And with a sweet, yet entirely fake smile, Hermione turned on her heel and walked towards the couch, picking up her black robe and throwing it around her shoulders.

All the while, Draco stared at her.

How dare her! Was she completely out of her mind! How could she say such a thing to Draco Malfoy? Slytherin Prince? Boy (incredibly handsome boy, mind you) with a terribly powerful father? Him of all people!

That's it. She was going out of her mind.

"Good morning to you, too," he greeted monotone, before walking into the bathroom and shutting the door behind him.

Hermione watched him, wide eyed and jaw gaping. She had just insulted him and he took it just like _that_? Not even one insult back. Not even the cold shoulder. Not even his famous _sneer_!

Well that just ruined her fun of torturing him.

If she wasn't going to make fun out of living with Malfoy…_what_ was she to do?

Hermione heaved an exasperated sigh and clasped the front of her robe together as she picked up a notebook and made her way towards the exit of their common room. With one more glance at the bathroom door and a disappointed shake of her head, Hermione left the common room and made her way towards meeting hall. Which at the moment she had no idea where it was, but never lost hope of meeting someone who could help her, along the way.

And only 35 minutes later, Hermione Granger, head-girl, had found her way into the meeting room. She smiled, relieved that she had finally caught up with Filch (though she couldn't help from gagging at the smell that came with him) and proceeded to lie about why she couldn't find her way to the room. Why in the world did Dumbledore want the meeting room to be hidden away? It only caused a nuisance to the head-girl. And of course, that was just unacceptable. Really, it was.

But when Hermione scanned the room, taking note of all the prefects and who they were, her eyes' sooner or later had rested on the end of the table, which was so kindly (and helpfully) labeled, "head-boy" and "head-girl." And who was sitting there, behind the spot that was reserved for the head-boy? Why the head-boy himself! Draco had beaten her to the meeting room, and to make matters worse, Hermione Granger was late. _Late_! Five whole minutes late! That's 300 seconds after the time she _should_ have been there!

Oh, the horror of it all.

"Miss Granger! You have arrived!" Dumbledore chimed, raising his arms and smiling brightly.

"Yes!" Hermione yelped, only to receive a few odd stares. "Yes…ha-ha-ha…yes, I have. Good morning, professor." She then smiled awkwardly, nervously walked over to her seat, and sat down. She heaved a groan and cracked a small smile when she noticed the eyes' of everyone set upon her, unblinkingly. And before she could make a scene and puke violently on the spot, Dumbledore had captured the attention of the prefects. He began to explain the task at hand and what was going to happen.

"As you all know, the Yule ball will be held on Christmas Eve this year. That is about a month away and the planning must be started and put into action. The head-boy and girl will oversee the plans that, you, the prefects come up with." Ahhh…fantastic less work for Hermione to worry about. Maybe this wouldn't be as terrible and time consuming as she thought it would be.

If only she knew what stupid twits the prefects were, then maybe she wouldn't have thought that…

"That was a wonderful display, Granger," Draco teased over the sound of the planning prefects. He had leaned towards her ear and was, indeed, very close to her (undoubtedly sending shivers up and down her spine). This wasn't safe. Not at all. Not if he was going to be breathing down her neck in the repulsive way of his. Not if his hot, moist breath was going to curl around her skin and caress it in that really wonderful- err, disgusting way. Hermione shook her head and pushed away from him.

"I only live to make you happy, Malfoy," she said sarcastically as Draco chuckled in that anything-but-infectious way of his and sat back in his seat. He rested his elbows on the armrests and placed his fingertips together, watching the prefects as they put their scrawny heads together and talked amongst themselves. This was surely the way it was supposed to be. Sit back and let them do the work while the heads' just lounge and wait, only so they can say "okay," "fine," or even something like, "that sounds wonderful!" What a life it was, being a head.

The rest of the day came as uneventful and typically tedious as most often did. Hermione had sat in the meeting room for a few hours and then practically raced to the Great Hall, trying to get some food into her stomach fast before it decided to go out on strike. What would happen if your stomach did such a thing…she had no idea, but it wasn't what one would call an appealing thought. Hermione had sat down in the Great Hall at the Gryffindor table near Ron and Harry, who were busy with some work, and went along to stuff her face, rivaling Ron for his known title.

The two had talked to her about previous days' happenings and Hermione found herself nodding throughout the entire conversation. She obviously had no idea what they were talking about and wasn't to intent on finding out what it was, for the matters at hand were already consuming her mind.

Her eyes' flickered towards the Slytherin table and she saw the object of her thoughts. Yes. Draco Malfoy. No matter how much she told herself that she was going to commit suicide in disturbing, painful ways, her mind clouded itself with thoughts of him. It just wouldn't cease! So instead of trying to stop it, Hermione decided to plan numerous ways to get revenge on him, even though he had done nothing to her recently. But, instead, it was just for being him. That was enough for Hermione to send him to Azkaban for lifeif she could. After torturing him for lengthy amounts of time in her own torture chamber, of course.

Her own torture chamber that really didn't exist...

What a shame.

Two days later, Hermione found herself staring blankly at the old wrinkle of a piece of skin some like to call Professor McGonagall. Her voice plagued into Hermione's mind, yet she heard none as she absently scribbled words down into her notebook. 'Focus, you twit!' she would tell herself over and over again, only to somehow daze off again. This was absolutely dreadful. Hermione knew she was losing sleep at night (obviously thinking about her voyage to the past), but she had no idea it would catch up with her like _this_. It was making her insane. And to her own fear, she began to resemble a house elf, shriveled and short (as she began to slump over). It was just too much.

Hermione had gotten excused to leave class early that day (as professor caught the unusual sight of Hermione Granger nodding off) and went straight up to her bedroom, collapsing on her bed. Her eyes slipped closed and her breath slowed. Right as her body hit the mattress, she was lost in the world of dreams and didn't wake until late the next morning (a day that she luckily had only a late class).

After catching up on sleep and becoming a little more used to the schedule again, Hermione made her way down the stone corridor that Thursday evening, Malfoy at her side. It was their turn to patrol the halls and to their own disgust, it was bloody freezing. Hermione pulled her robe closer to her form and sucked in a breath as she stopped to look out a window.

It was snowing.

A small, gleeful smile then crept upon her lips as she watched the white snowflakes float to the ground below them. Everything was covered with a thin sheet of shimmering snow, making Hogwarts look as beautiful as ever. She was then so rudely tugged back to her current purpose though when Malfoy stopped and called her to get her ass moving. Hermione glared and jogged up to his side, walking in step with him again.

They had talked very little. There seemed to be a veil of tense feelings between them and Hermione didn't dare try and break it, for fear of just ruining the peaceful silence with their bickering.

But, of course, Malfoy had to ruin a good moment when it came.

"What's up with you lately, Granger?" he asked, casting her a sidelong glance. Hermione shook her thoughts away and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow.

He was trying to establish conversation.

How exciting.

"Nothing…why?" she replied, obviously lying _and_ obviously not doing a very good job at it.

"You can't tell me that," Draco started, "You come into classes late, you're always tired, you eat like a deprived animal…there's something wrong," he drawled, in his usual drawling (and freakishly annoying) voice. Hermione's eyes widened and she looked at him, damning him to all depths for his choice of words.

"_Deprived animal_!" she yelped, not taking her fierce eyes from his. Draco shrugged and smirked as he stuck his hands in his pockets. "That's just…encouraging!"

"Since when do you care what I think?" he asked, chuckling at her ways as Hermione stopped for a second and debated whether or not to take his words into consideration. And after a fewmomentsshe ran up to his side again and nodded, her nose in the air.

"That makes a very good point, thank you for reminding me," she said, holding her hands before her and picking at her nails.

"Did you forget I asked you a question, Granger?" Draco asked, only seconds later, when he came to notice that she wasn't going to answer him anytime soon.

"What?" she replied, giving him a blank look. The head boy rolled his eyes.

"Is there something wrong or not?" he repeated, throwing his head back.

"Do I sense that you are worried, Mr. Malfoy?" she said, her tone calm and unknowing at the boldness to her question.

"Like _hell_, I'm worried!" Draco spat, wishing he had never asked the question, nor even thought it.

"You're such a prat," she said, lauging(causing Draco's stomach to do things he would _never_ approve of) and smiling slightly as they walked a good three feet away from each other. She was not going to let him get away with that. Referring to Hermione Granger as a "deprived animal" was just a bad thing to do. Especially when that person who did it was the object of her irritation.

After about a half an hour after they had started their patrol, Hermione and Malfoy turned a corner to a deserted part of the castle. They both cocked their eyebrows as they let their eyes rest on two Hufflepuffs, having a littlemore fun than they should have been. Hermione groaned and casually walked up to the two (who hadn't noticed her a bit because they were so grossly involved each other). She cleared her throat loudly and the two pulled apart, looking at her with a expression of true embarassment. Each turned a shade darker red and began to mutter endlessly, causing Hermione to shake her head.

Fourth years...

"Please, next time you two want to stick your tounge down someones throat, do it in private. Uck...now get to your common rooms before I decide to give you two detention," she told them, disgust seeping through her words. The two then both backed away from the head-girl quickly and scurried down the hall.

"Hufflepuffs..." Draco murmured as he and Hermione turned back and headed towards the Great Hall. Hermione looked to him and rose her eyebrows.

"What about them?"

"Nothing..."he said dryly, taking a sidelong glance at the girl beside him and sighing wearily.

"So who will you be taking to the Yuleball this year, Malfoy?" she questioned,indirectly pointing out that he took a different girl each year.

"Not you, for the love of Merlin," he stated, his eyes flickering towards her to see her reaction.

"Well, duh, Malfoy. If you don't want to tell me though, you don't have to then."

"Whois going to have the _honor_ of going with our head-girl?" he asked, false sarcasm filling his tone. Hermione sighed and tapped her index finger on her chin thoughtfully.

"There _was_ this _very_ attractive Ravenclaw that winked at me yesterday," she stated boastfully (though she wasn't expecting Draco to be jealous of _her_). But, instead,he seemed to feel the opposite,yet tried to hideitfrom her. He seemed to be jealous of _him_. Draco's fists tightened slowly and he set his gaze straight ahead, muttering something about Ravenclaws and how immature they were.

Daft bastard.

Once their patrolling hour was over, Hermione strolled into the library. Walking down a certain aisle, she pulled a few books from the shelves and sat down at a table. She slowly flipped through the ancientpages and traced her finger along the lines, searching for the perfect spell, charm, or trick that she would use in order to get her revenge on Malfoy. And when she seemed to find an interesting page, she stopped and began to read the details.

_Cast this spell to wreak havoc on the object of your irritation. _

This was perfect already!

Hermione read on.

_This certain spell will cause extreme consequences if not done correctly. But when it is cast perfectly, the results should be to the liking of the caster. Once this spell is cast on the person, he or she will…_

Reading to the bottom of the page, agrin appeared upon Hermione's face and her eyes' twinkled with amusement.

Oh yes. This was brilliant.

Bloody _brilliant_.

**

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I hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I still have to come up with exactly what the spell will do. Ha-ha-ha. I didn't give you people a cliffhanger for no reason. Review please! **

**-krista**


	5. Oddity

**Hey there. I want to thank you all for the great reviews. You people are too good to me.**

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter.**

**A/N- I hope the spell she found lives up to your standards. I remember one of you guys telling me that it better be good. Ha-ha-ha. I tried.**

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The next day after her morning classes, Hermione rushed back to her dorm room. She grasped the book she had taken out from the library the day before and grinned as she looked down at its ancient cover. Sitting down on her bed, she pulled the book open and flipped to the page that the spell was on. Then after quickly reading through the description again, she flipped the page, an odd twinkle in her eye. 

But as she read through the next page, that odd twinkle began to fade. Hermione came to the conclusion that the spell was…not exactly that simple. Hell, she couldn't even pronounce it! With a sigh, she assumed this was going to take a lot of work. And that lot of work…better start then and there.

After getting comfortable on her bed, Hermione read the spell once very slowly, her voice stammering along the way. Then she shut her eyes' and said the spell again…and again…and again…and well, you get the idea. She shook her head as she slowly repeated the spell. God, how was she to know she was even saying it right? It's not like she could get help from anyone. Most likely if anyone knew she was planning on casting a spell on Malfoy (and for a hopeless reason at that) she would be put on detention and made to write "I will not cast nasty spells on Draco Malfoy ever again" until her fingers began to fall off and her eyes dried out from staring at the white paper.

Hermione shuddered violently.

'Good thoughts, happy thoughts, no one is going to Azkaban, I will not get caught…'

There were still a few problems.

How the hell would she keep Malfoy from opening his large mouth and blabbering it out to the entire school! She definitely didn't doubt that he would. Of course Malfoy would want attention and of course he would do anything to get it (even looking like some coward who couldn't take Hermione Granger casting one spell on him). So in the end, Hermione ended up deciding that if worst came to worst, she could just hex him away and everyone would forget about the twitchy ferret called Draco Malfoy.

But then there were the consequences if the spell didn't go right.

…

"No," Hermione told herself. She was Hermione Granger for God's sake! Head-girl! Possibly the brightest witch this school has ever seen! Of course everything would go all right. Nothing could go wrong.

Right?

If only.

The rest of the afternoon, Hermione spent her time, desperately trying to learn the spell. But as time went on, her stomach ached more and more for her to get something in it. With a bored sigh, she jumped off her bed and placed the book back inside her trunk for safe keeping. And as she grasped her robe from her coat hanger, Hermione left her room and passed through the common room. There she found the common room empty with only a fire burning in the hearth. Remembering her evil plan, she grinned, her eyes narrowing as she strolled from the room, humming a joyful tune to herself.

She soon arrived at the Gryffindor common room painting and said the password (which she had gotten from Harry at lunch a few days ago) to the fat lady. The painting opened immediately and Hermione walked on in, finding Harry and Ron bickering in the common room. She cocked an eyebrow and watched them, her head slightly turned to an angle as her expression grew even more confused by the minute. And after taking a small step closer to maybe hear just what they were so deeply involved upon, Harry rounded to face her and threw his arms in the air.

"_You_ tell him, Hermione!" he said, breathing a breath of relief.

"Tell Ron what?" she asked softly, looking between the two as Ron shook his head, expressionless.

"Don't you listen to him, Hermione! He's gone off his rocker!" Ron bellowed, pointing his shaking hand at the green-eyed boy before him.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, taking a slow step towards them as they both stared at her.

"Tell Ron that I did _nothing_ and did _not_ do _anything_ with his _sister_!" he stated, his tone heightening with each word.

"What did you do with Ginny?" she asked innocently. Harry sighed angrily.

"Nothing!" he said throwing his arms in the air. Heavens, it was fun making those two riled up for no reason at all. Just seeing their faces turn as red as they were now was enough to keep her laughing about this for a while.

"Bloody hell, Harry!" Ron yelped, ready to strangle his once best friend to his death.

"Ron!" Hermione yelled over his voice, tightening her fists. "Please! If Harry says he didn't do anything, then he _didn't_ do anything!"

"Fantastic! Take Harry's side, of course!" the red-haired seventh year whined, crossing his arms tighter on his chest to keep himself from strangling the both of them.

"Oh Ron, Ginny can stand up for herself," Hermione stated to Ron, while whispering a "though I don't think she'd want to" to Harry, causing them both to chuckle.

"So you're saying that Harry did!"

"Ron! Please, just come to dinner in the Great Hall with Harry and I." Ron lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes, before walking towards the painting to the corridors and muttering a wonderful range of words along the way. Hermione and Harry only watched him walk out before laughing hysterically and walking out behind him.

Once they had all arrived in the Great Hall, Hermione, Harry, and Ron piled into the hall and took their rightful seats at the Gryffindor table. The meal went quite nice and peacefully, except for the occasional outbursts of bickering between Ron and Harry. So instead of butting in again, Hermione blocked them from her mind and continued with her dinner. She could not help her mind replaying what had happened on the way to the Great Hall. It was very odd and it was just screaming to be considered.

The three of them (Ron a few steps ahead, of course) had been strolling down the many staircases on their way to the Great Hall and apparently Draco was just coming back from there. He wastaking his timewalking up the stairs, Pansy and Zabini behind him (who were currently eyeing each other and licking their lips in a sloppy, utterly _alarming_ way behind Draco's back…wow, _great_ pals). But Hermione didn't watch them for too long. Her eyes soon moved to Draco and she felt her breathing shallow out.

He was staring _right_ at her.

Their gazes locked and neither looked away, each trying to understand what the other was thinking at the moment. A blush silently crept up and began to fume on Hermione's face as his cold gray eyes searched her warm brown ones.

What on Earth was _happening_?

It was almost as if it were happening in slow motion. Both were practically devouring the other with their eyes. The closer they came, the higher the heat seemed to rise in the room that night. And it wasn't until Draco's shoulder softly brushed past Hermione's did he grin slightly at her and cause Hermione to look away. As the blush crept further upon her face, she knew she would never forget how wonderfully his eyes twinkled when his lips curved upwards into that grin of his.

_And_ how it made her insides flop and flip as if being tossed around like a tennis ball.

Bizarrely uncomfortable, it was.

Yet, all _too_ pleasant.

Hermione sighed and stuffed the last piece of orange slice in her mouth and chewed it slowly as the sweet juices filled her mouth. She let her lips part lightly when she finished chewing and breathed in deeply, reveling in the scent that Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, seemed to hold. It was warm, sweet, and soft. Cinnamon and apples.

No wonder why it had become her favorite.

After leaving herself little time to think, Hermione stood from her seat. She bid Harry and Ron goodbye as soon as she made both promise they wouldn't lunge at each other and see who could suffocate the other first. Both laughed timidly and waved their arms as Hermione narrowed her eyes at them and turned, walking slowly back towards her common room.

When Hermione arrived back at her common room, Draco was sitting on the couch, working on some homework. His white-blond hair was hanging before his eyes and the flames from the fire seemed to make his skin glow. He was just so...perfect... Yes, everyone knows that, so this current ogling could not go on. She hastily walked across the fire-lit room, never averting her gaze from her bedroom door. If only she could get there unnoticed. Draco didn't have to see her. She didn't have to see him. They didn't have to see each other.

"Granger," Draco greeted, causing Hermione's throat to tighten and only allow her to mumble a few incomprehensible words back to him. Draco raised an eyebrow and shook when her bedroom door was slammed shut behind her. With a sigh, Draco stood up and placed his books on the other cushion of the couch. He frowned lightly and walked stealthily up to her door and placed an ear to the wood.

Hermione huffed after she placed her robe on the coat hanger. She sat upon the corner of her bed and tapped her fingers on her chin as she tapped her foot upon the floor. Hermione cleared her throat and shifted in her spot. She definitely needed to talk to someone quick. And she knew just whom she could talk to.

Ginny Weasley.

Without a thought more, Hermione jumped up from her spot and grasped her cloak again, throwing it over her shoulders. She hurriedly went to the door and grasped the handle, twisting it around and flinging the door open, only to reveal a certain frozen Slytherin with his ear where the door used to be.

How entirely rude and unbecoming.

"Just _what_ are you _doing_!" Hermione yelped, stretching her arms out straight beside her. Draco Malfoy had been listening to her. Invading her privacy. That bastard!

This was just…just…ugh.

"I- I- Well- I- You- You were-…" he stammered, pulling his head back and avoiding her eyes as if she were the most horrid creature to place eyes on.

"_Yes_?" she asked in a raised voice, clutching her hips with her hands. What in Merlin? He was almost acting…_frightened_. It's not like she was going to burn his eyes out with a flaming red fire poker or anything.

Well at least not right away…

"You were acting strange!" he shouted, not even trying to hold himself back anymore. Yes, he had tried to be civil. _CIVIL_. But, nope, Granger just_had_ to push his buttons by shouting at him. She just had to.

What a jewel she was.

"How is that! I feel perfectly _fine_!" she retorted, pushing her way past him and towards the portrait hole. Her fists clenched into balls as she heard his steps behind her. He just wouldn't give up. _Insufferable_ twit!

"Granger! Just stop the act! You cannot tell me that _something_ is not bothering you!" he yelled, throwing his hands in the air and sighing in aggravation.

Hermione huffed heavily before letting her lips curve into a small grin. She slowly turned on her heal to face a perturbed looking Malfoy. Taking a step, Hermione strolled back towards him, her fingers twiddling with her wand in her robes. She let her lips part slowly and form a wider, almost ear to ear grin. He looked so adorable when he was bothered. Hermione just couldn't help but walk towards him with her hand out as if she were going to _pet_ him or something.

Hmm…I'd say that's just a tad odd.

Draco's heart skipped a beat as she stopped merely a foot from him. His throat tightened and he blinked numerous times, trying to clear his mind of his _intruding thoughts_. This was just too much. The way she walked up to him. The way her pink lips curved into that grin of hers. The way her eyes twinkled with mirth. The way he could almost smell her warm scent wash over him and envelope him with it's velvety texture.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you _were_ worried," Hermione whispered softly, raising an eyebrow at him as he quickly averted his eyes. With a forced chuckle, Draco took a step back, their positions being far too dangerous. Hermione laughed lightly and placed both hands in her robe pockets.

He couldn't just let her know that he actually was worried. That would just be…insane!

Draco Malfoy, worried for the insufferable Granger?

HA!

That's hilarity.

Draco clenched his jaw and crossed his arms on his chest defiantly. He narrowed his eyes and smirked, his blond hair falling down before his icy gray eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, Granger, maybe it'll come true someday." And with that he turned swiftly with the grace of a serpent and fluidly walked back towards his bedroom never noticing the glare resting upon him.

Hermione scowled at him and grasped her hands tightly around her wand. She pulled it out and pointed the tip at the retreating back of Malfoy. Narrowing her eyes to aim perfectly, she shouted the spell. And before Draco had time to turn around and see what had gotten into Hermione, he had been hit in the back with a spiraling white ball of fire. Hermione turned and walked out the portrait hole as Draco flew off his feet and landed face first on the floor in his bedroom.

The white fire began to spread on his body like a wild fire spreading to the driest plants in the forest, in the driest region of the world, on the driest day of the year.

Exactly like that.

It's the truth.

No lie.

His body seemed to be going through spasms. Suddenly his back would curl and he would be huddled into a small ball, leg's and arms shaking violently. Then as if his body decided against it, his back arched and he felt himself stretching and then curling up again. The pain from this was almost numbing and was shooting through every muscle tissue of his body, almost too much to bear. His hands were clawing at the floor, begging for relief from the feelings coursing through him. He clamped his eyes shut, trying to endure the pain as tears pricked at the corners of his eyes and began to trickle down the side of his cheek. Each tear landed on the wooden floor with a small…

_Splat_.

_Splat_.

_Splat_.

And as soon as it had began, he felt his muscles loosen. His arms and legs went limp and he lay on the floor, his chest heaving. His sweaty and tear-stricken skin gleamed under the sunlight coming in from the window and his breath came in shallow pants as the feeling started to flow back into his muscles.

It was over with.

All over.

No more pain.

None.

Draco groaned and pulled himself up from the floor. "Dammit, Granger!" he yelled, putting a hand to his head and shutting his eyes shut to keep him from falling over from dizziness. But before he could continue cursing any longer, Draco let his hand fall down his face and hold it out before him so he could examine it.

It was different. _Very_ different…

The skin was now darker and a little rougher from what it had been before (pale and perfect, almost godly, perhaps). A few dark blades of hair fell before his eyes and Draco did not like what he was seeing. His vision was blurred and he almost found himself walking into what seemed to be his desk when he squinted his eyes just right. And, of course, it was his desk, for he had always had one there. But it wasn't the desk itself that confused him, it was what was lying upon the desk.

There on the table was a round glassed, pair of spectacles.

Draco gently reached out and grasped the glasses. He then slid them onto his face and sighedfaintly in relief when his vision cleared. Amazing just what two slices of glass could do for ones vision. Really, who had first come up with that idea? You know, maybe if I just take these two pieces of glass and put them in front of my eyes, then maybe...

Anyways, back to more _important _matters at hand.

_What in the bleeding hell had Granger done_!

With a few steps, Draco stumbled over to his mirror and looked at his reflection. His arms suddenly dropped to his sides and his jaw gaped as hedid the only thing that seemed possibly right at the time.

He screamed at the top of his lungs.

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**Ah yes, the horrors of a cliffhanger. Don't you love me? **

**Review please!**


	6. Incredulous

**Hello. Thanks to all you reviewers for your wonderful reviews. They have really kept me writing this. **

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter. **

**A/N: Okay, I just want to say that she did _NOT_ cast any unforgivable curse on Draco. I re-read it and it sort of seemed that she had, but she didn't. ****

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**Hermione giggled lightly as she walked down the stairs towards the Gryffindor common room. Ginny was going to love to hear the news and Hermione was going to _love_ delivering it. Just to see the look on Ginny's face when she heard that Hermione Granger had cast a spell on Draco Malfoy, was going to make her laugh to no end. She grinned, stopped before the portrait and paused. Something had sounded from back up the stairs. It was almost animal like and Hermione cringed at its length. But what was it?

Then it hit her.

Hermione widened her eyes' and said the password quickly. The portrait swung open and she bolted through the portrait hole, into a very quiet common room. Everyone was sitting around, eyes wide in confusion and set on her form as she stopped before the fireplace. She cracked a guilty smile and twisted the hem of her robes around her fingers. Her face began to flush red and before she uttered a few meaningless words, she was cut off again.

A voice boomed through the castle. Only this time, it was close. Definitely much closer.

Hermione shivered. This could not be good.

A pounding then began on the Gryffindor portrait and she knew exactly who it was. Who else called her all those wonderfully colored names without being given a detention every waking minute? Only one person, of course.

The head-girl then shrugged nervously and breathed deep, preparing herself to face the, no doubt, steaming head-boy outside the room. Each and every person just sat there, staring at her in shocked silence, wondering what in the hell Hermione Granger could have done to make Draco Malfoy turn into a raving lunatic. She took a slow step towards the portrait hole and broke into a quick run when the portrait began to rumble even more. This was it. She was going to face the monster that was Malfoy.

Draco was fuming, to say the least. He pounded mercilessly on the portrait, ignoring the endless shouts and pleas of the fat lady, who was currently climbing a tree in attempt to escape him. But he wouldn't stop. His balled fists pounded harder each time they came into contact with the painting and his face had become wrinkled in frustration. He was going to talk to her if it was the last thing he did. He was going to. And of course he would. For he was Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius Malfoy. Draco always got what he wanted…even if it took a little work. And this…whatever had happened to him, needed some explaining.

Granger had hurt him. She had hurt him and turned him into Potter.

How entirely vomit worthy.

The portrait soon swung open and Hermione stumbled out onto the platform. Her face was flushed and her eyes widened at the sight before her. Her fingers were still playing with the hem of her robes and she smiled weakly.

It had worked. The spell had _actually_ worked.

Then, before Draco could curse her into the next world, Hermione was doubled over in laughter. Her sides had begun to ache as she bent down and leaned up against the wall. Tears of mirth were streaming down her cheeks and she when she finally looked back up to him seeming to calm down, she only plunged into another fit of giggles.

Draco was appalled. His eyes narrowed at her as he crossed his arms on his chest and watched the shaking form on the floor. How could she? Really, in blatant truth, how _could_ she? She had cast a spell on him, caused him great pain, and then began to laugh mockingly at the sight before her as she pointed and mumbled words she could hardly understand herself. "You think this is amazingly amusing, don't you?" Draco asked, not bothering to help her up from the ground as she nodded and began to wipe her cheeks. "You don't even know what you did to me, do you?"

"W-…what?" she asked, still giggling lightly as she pulled herself up and wobbled slightly. "What are you talking about?" she asked. "I turned you into your worst enemy is all! It will wear off before next morning. Just a quick spell really. Very ingenious, too. I mean the inventor must have really had a sense of humor…" she rambled, but was cut off immediately when Draco grabbed both her arms and pushed her to the wall.

Hermione looked up confused as her eyes flashed with fear. Draco felt himself soften for a blinking moment before he went stone cold again and watched her icily. He leaned in and stopped when their faces were merely centimeters apart. Hermione's heart began to race and she hoped desperately that he couldn't hear it. Then he let his lips part and began, "you don't even know how painful it was, do you?" he whispered, his tone never wavering as he tried to hide his hurt.

Her jaw dropped a little and began to continually open and close before she found her voice. "What are you talking about?" she whispered, her voice uneven and squeaky. "It wasn't supposed to hurt you…" she added, flinching when he tightened his grip. Hermione let out a small gasp of pain and he suddenly pulled back as if she were infected with some disease. He really didn't want to hurt her. Even if she had hurt him. He just couldn't do it.

"Well, it did." And with that he took a few steps back and glared at her before turning to walk up the stairs towards the hospital wing. She watched his retreating back and she let out a sob, wishing she hadn't been so quick to cast that spell. Her back slowly slid down the wall until she was sitting on the floor, her legs gathered up to her chest as she sobbed quietly, remembering how hurt he had looked for a few moments. Hell, she could even see the tearstains on his cheeks where the tears had slipped down.

How could she have done that?

How could she have been so damn stupid!

Draco pushed the doors open and boomed into the hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey stuck her head out from the office and sent him a hell gaze for making such a racket as he walked towards her. "What is wrong today, Mr. Potter?" she asked, going back into her office to finish straightening out her things. Draco sighed and stopped at her door.

"Don't call me that disgusting name," he spat, only causing Madame Pomfrey to cock an eyebrow at him and shake her head disapprovingly.

"What are you ranting about now, Mr. Potter?" she asked, rushing back out into the hospital to tend to a second year who had apparently fell down the many stairs while they were moving. Draco ran up to her side and crossed his arms on his chest.

"I'm not Pot-head."

"Oh, of course you're not, boy," she said waving her arms in a dismissive manner. Draco clenched his fists and tightened his jaw.

"You don't understand. I'm _not_ Potter," he stated tightly as Madame Pomfrey turned to put the back of her hand against his forehead. She sighed heavily and bustled back towards her office.

"Oh really? And _who_ might you be?" she asked while poking through her many potions.

"Draco Malfoy." She stopped and let her expressionless gaze set on him. Then as quick as he had said it, she burst out into laughter and nodded, mumbling many incoherent words. "What is so funny!" he asked, not liking the way she responded. Not liking it at _all_.

"Dear, dear, dear…" she murmured as she grabbed "Harry" by the arm and pulled him towards an empty bed. "Lay down," she ordered, rushing back to her office and then coming back with a vile of dark blue potion.

"What is that?" he asked worriedly.

"Something that will help you," she stated, as she took the cork out of the top of the tube and handed it to him. Draco took the tube and looked at it disapprovingly. He shook it and the contents swirled around, it's colors shining in the shadow of the setting sun through the windows. "Mister Pot-…Young man! I do not have all day!" she shouted, snatching the vile away from him and pouring it down his throat on her own.

"Madame Pomfrey!" Draco's head snapped towards the entrance and he saw Hermione walking hastily towards the bed. Her face was wet with tears and her eyes' were widened in fright. But before he could smile at her (though he knew not why he would want to smile at the girl who had done this to him), his eyes drifted to a close and his hearing blurred as he fell into a dreamless sleep.

Hermione ran up to the bedside and put her hand on his forehead, feeling his temperature. She hastily turned around, her eyes' filled with worry. "What did you just give him!" she called, as Madame Pomfrey turned to watch the head-girl, obviously ready to fall to the floor and sob.

Like I said before…what a damn drama queen…

"Hush up, Ms. Granger. I have only given Mr. Potter a sleeping potion, he'll be awake by tomorrow morning and he won't have remembered anything from today," she said walking up to Hermione. "Hopefully he will not assume he is still Mister Malfoy…" she said, pulling the sheets up over him and lying a pillow behind his head.

Falling back onto the bed next to his, Hermione sighed and watched his chest rise slowly and fall slowly. Her lips curved into a small smile as she watched his face. He looked so peaceful. His face wasn't holding much expression except for the slight smile that was pulling at the corners of his lips.

She then remembered what Madame Pomfrey had said. _Harry_ wouldn't remember anything. Madame Pomfrey would see in the morning, Draco Malfoy lying in the bed. Not Potter, but _Malfoy_. By morning the spell will have worn off! How was Hermione supposed to explain the sudden change in appearance!

This was fantastic…

Really, it was.

Hermione's head suddenly felt light and she fell back onto the pillows. "I think I'm going to be sick…" she muttered.

And how right she was.

Only seconds later, her head was over the side of the bed and she was hurling out the contents of her stomach. She coughed pitifully and sputtered, groaning in disgust as Madame Pomfrey ran over to her and cast a cleaning charm on the floor and on Hermione. "I think you had better stay the night, Ms. Granger," she stated, shoving a pillow behind Hermione's head and pulling the blankets up to her chin. "Lord knows we don't want your stomach acids splattered all over the school!"

That's sure as hell flattering.

And with that, the nurse fled back to her office and soon came stalking back. She gave Hermione a vile and she took it thankfully, downing the sleeping potion. Madame Pomfrey then walked back to her office and shut the door behind her, not to come out until morning. Supposedly the woman slept in there. Some actually said that she never slept, but spent all of her time brewing more and more potions that would make the children gag until their faces turned an awful shade of green.

Hermione yawned and turned on her side, her gaze resting on his peaceful face. She smiled and heaved a sigh, drifting off to a deep sleep.

The next morning Hermione awoke with a start. Her eyes fluttered open and they fell upon the sleeping form of Draco in the bed next to her. The same Draco that she came to find extremely attractive… He hadn't moved at all and this served to only worry Hermione. She quietly pushed back her sheets and climbed out of the hospital bed. She tiptoed over to Draco's bedside and tapped him on the shoulder. "Malfoy," she whispered. He didn't move. "Malfoy!" she said, her tone urgent as she began to poke at his shoulder harder than before.

"Draco!" she yelled in a whisper, pushing his body. His head rolled to the side and she pushed him again. "Draco, wake _up_!" she said harshly, grabbing a strand of his soft hair and pulling down on it. She squealed frightened as he suddenly grabbed her arm and pulled her down to him. Her face stopped only a few inches from his face and her pulse heightened. His eyes cracked open and he stared at her, his eyes searching hers for answers. Of course he had questions. He was lying in a hospital bed, with no recollection of the day before.

"You're going to bruise my wrist," she whispered quietly. Draco frowned and let go of her wrist, letting her stand up. She grasped her white skin and rubbed it for a few seconds as he sat up in the bed.

"What am I doing here?" he asked softly. Hermione smiled weakly and took a step back.

"Well…" she whispered.

"Yes?" he asked, waiting for an answer and obviously not being too patient about it.

"Well…"

"I got that part, Granger."

"Yes…uh…long story, but I have to get you out of here." Draco frowned once again and rose an eyebrow at her.

"Why?" he questioned, lying back and folding his hands behind his head. His lips curved into a devious smirk and he crossed his legs at his ankles.

How could he find this amusing!

Hermione fidgeted as she saw Madame Pomfrey's shadow in the corner of her eye, behind the glazed glass of her office door. She gasped when she noticed her walking towards the door with a few things in her hands. Not taking anymore time to think, Hermione grabbed Draco's arm and pulled him out of the bed. She broke out into a run as the door to Madame Pomfrey's office began to creek open. Hermione tightened her grip and pulled him, but not for long, since he was much stronger and had stopped against her wishes.

"What is going on!" he asked coldly, snaking his wrist from her hand. Hermione shook her head, pleading him to follow her. Her eyes were widened with fear and he finally obliged, not being able to let her down. He began to walk towards the door but Hermione gripped his wrist again pulled on him roughly. They were right in front of the door when Madame Pomfrey's voice rang through the air.

"Just _where_ are you and Mister Potter going!" she asked, striding up to them.

"Mister _Potter_!" Draco snapped in shock. Hermione panicked and shoved Draco out the door, before smiling weakly at the nurse who was advancing on her quickly. "_What_ the hell is going-…" he started before Hermione clamped her hand over his mouth. She quietly put a finger to her lips and reluctantly pulled her hand away from his soft lips when he nodded softly.

Oh dear…did he just soften up on Hermione Granger?

Oh dear…Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

This could _not_ happen again!

Draco stood there, shocked at what had just happened, as Hermione turned and opened the door to the hospital wing again. She stuck her head in and said, "Harry and I are feeling much better now. Thank you Madame Pomfrey." And with that, she closed the door and grasped Draco's wrist once again, pulling him towards their common room.

Many kids began to watch in interest as Hermione pulled Draco down the hall. He was constantly shouting at her, trying to get her to stop. But she wouldn't. She was completely afraid of being caught. And getting in trouble was not something Hermione Granger was good at. Everyone knew that, especially Draco Malfoy.

"Granger!" he yelled. Hermione didn't flinch. She kept on running and running through the halls. "Granger!" he screamed again over the whispers and rumors floating around the halls. She stopped suddenly before their portrait and muttered the passwords. The portrait flew open and she pulled him in through the portrait hole and into their common room where a fire was burning in the hearth. Then without any words at all, she let go of his wrist and stumbled over to the couch, falling down onto its plush cushions.

Draco blinked in confusion as he watched her throw her head into her hands. Her body began to shake as he slowly walked over to her and stood before her. "What the _bloody_ hell happened, Granger?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head and let out a sob.

Oh Merlin…

"Granger," Draco said kneeling down and pulling her hands from her face. He held her wrists in his hands and watched her eyes as tears spilled down her cheeks. "What happened?" he asked, fighting back the urge to swipe her loose curls behind her ears.

Hermione's breath caught in her throat. For a second she almost thought he was going to kiss her. But of course not, that's just preposterous! Her face began to flush and she pulled her wrists from his grip, immediately regretting that she had. Her back leaned up against the back of the couch as another tear slid down her pink cheek. "I…I…It's a long story…" she murmured.

Draco stood up and sat down on the couch next to her. She moved back a little when he sat so close, but ended up being blocked when her arm met the armrest. Draco frowned and sat facing her as he scooted closer. "You told me that already…and I asked again," he stated flatly. Hermione nodded at him in understanding and closed her eyes momentarily before she drew in a ragged breath.

"Yesterday…yesterday I cast a spell on you," she said as Draco nodded and sat back, watching her intently.

Had he really matured over the few years after graduation?

Wow, this was mind boggling.

"And…well…you took on the appearance of your worst enemy. I didn't see it happen because, well…I had left immediately after casting the spell and went to the Gryffindor common room. Well, you…you came banging on the Gryffindor common room portrait. So I went out. You were f-furious. I laughed and wouldn't stop. You said the spell had hurt you," Hermione whispered, another tear sliding down her cheek. "I didn't really want to hurt you. I cried. I could see your tearstained face and when you left abruptly, I began to cry even more. After a little while…I…I ran after you and found you in the Hospital wing. Madame Pomfrey was giving you sleeping potion and you feel asleep. I…I think she thought Harry was just running a high fever and was going delirious," she choked out as tears began to fall freely down her cheek. "I got sick…and she had me stay over night, too."

Draco sat in his spot, stunned beyond all words as Hermione finished with a sniffle. All he wanted to do was comfort her and tell her that everything was all right. But he was Draco Malfoy. He couldn't comfort her, let alone touch the Gryffindor. That would just be…wrong.

But she just sat there, slumped over, her face in her hands as tears began to trickle. Draco couldn't help but feel a pang of guilt for her.

'No!' Draco told himself. 'She's a filthy mudblood. You cannot even think about that. What would father say about this!' he asked himself, making every little part about comforting her look like a complete sin.

"What did I do to deserve being cast upon?" he asked, his pointed glare burning holes in her skin as he watched her every move. Hermione slowly lifted her face up from her hands and rose her eyebrows at him.

"'_What did you do_!'" she repeated, trying to not act to surprised by his question. Draco nodded and glared, sending shivers down Hermione's spine. "I _can't_ believe you!" she screamed, standing from her spot, Draco doing the same. "You made my life a living _hell_ all throughout our seven years of knowing each other! _Merlin_, Malfoy, how can you ask such a question!"

Maybe he hadn't matured?

Actually, Hermione was pretty sure he didn't at all.

"You don't even know what you and your wonder-friends did to me," he yelled back, trying to keep himself from lashing out. Malfoy's did not lash out. Especially not on females…even if she was considered one.

"_What_?" she asked, her voice soft and flowing with confusion. "Harry, Ron, and I have done absolutely _nothing_ to you!"

'Stupid, insolent, insufferable, egotistical, git!'

"That's not true and it _never_ was," he seethed, taking a few steps away from the head-girl. She was standing there, staring at him with her hands on her hips in that demanding way of hers. Draco couldn't help but notice how adorable the pink flush on her cheeks made her look…even if she was ready to kill him in most disturbing ways. It was truly frightening him, though. Not that he was scared _of_ her, but he was scared of what he might do _to_ her if he was just a few feet closer.

That would most likely not result in a good way.

"I don't understand you," she muttered, her gaze locked on his as each wished curses' upon the other. Draco returned the icy glare and took a few steps back. He ran a hand through his silky hair as he sighed in frustration and quickly turned on his heel, stalking towards his room, his blonde hair rustling with his movements. Grasping the handle, he turned the knob and let the door slip open as he looked back slightly. He uttered a few words and before Hermione could respond, he was gone.

"Well then the feeling's mutual, Granger."

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**Now you all definitely hate me! Ha-ha-ha. I had originally had him give into his wants and hug her, but that just didn't seem right. Oh well! This was much more interesting! **

**Review please!**


	7. Oblivious

**Hello. Thanks for the GREAT reviews. You are all so nice to me. **

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter. There is also a part that I borrowed from a movie, but I'm not going to tell you what it is now, so I don't ruin the moment. **

**A/N: I am SO sorry about the wait, but I just took my last two finals Thursday. Hope you like the chapter!  
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A pair of thin eyelashes began to flutter open as a peck sounded across the head-girls bedroom. Hermione yawned and rubbed her eyes sleepily before she let them slip open. She lazily turned over and gazed towards the window, trying to figure out just what was knocking on her window. And there, perched on the sill, was an owl, just a normal, post owl. Her eyebrows slowly raised and a frown appeared on her face. What was this? 

Hermione pushed herself out of her bed and stumbled across the room. Grabbing hold of the window, she pushed it open and moved aside when the owl flew in and perched itself on her shoulder. On it's leg was a small rolled up piece of parchment tied with a piece of string, which she slowly reached toward and pulled off, receiving a hoot of a thank you from the owl. Hermione smiled and pet the owl softly before it flew back out the window.

Once the owl was gone, Hermione pulled the window shut and started to untie the string around the parchment. The crisp paper unrolled itself once the tie was off and Hermione began to read. Her eyes moved further along each line, a sense of dread growing inside her. And once she was finished, she felt herself flop down on the bed and groan loudly.

How could Dumbledore expect her to Hogsmeade with Draco?

Easy…she was head-girl and he was head-boy.

Or had she forgotten?

Hermione's eyes rolled when she pushed herself back off her bed and to her dresser. She lazily pulled out a pair of jeans and a hooded sweater, woven in the colors of the Gryffindor house. After getting dressed, she threw her hair up in a quick ponytail and sighed, grasping the note from her bed and walking towards the door. Hermione tugged the door open and walked around the small corner to Draco's bedroom door.

After taking a deep breath, Hermione slowly brought up her hand and with a little hesitation, began to knock on the door. (She had obviously not forgotten about their encounter a few nights before… Not that she could forget, of course.) She let her hand drop to her side as she tried to listen for his steps. But noticing that no one was coming, Hermione brought her knuckles to the door again, only to be surprised when the door opened to reveal a disheveled head-boy. Hermione blinked and quickly cast her gaze away from him.

"Uh…" she stammered.

"Yes?" he asked flatly. Hermione narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms defiantly on her chest.

"Dumbledore sent me a owl. We have to go to Hogsmeade today to pick up a few things for the Yule Ball," she stated, not allowing her gaze to waver. Draco raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms on his chest.

"Why didn't Dumbledore owl me too?" he asked coldly. Hermione shrugged and shoved the note to his chest, only to get a glare from Draco before he began to read. His eyes moved along the paper quickly and before she could say one thing, he held it out to her, his eyes expressionless. Hermione slowly reached out and took it from him, folding it and placing it in her pocket.

Draco faked a small smile and took a few steps back, shutting the door. Hermione's eyes narrowed and she banged on his door a few times before saying, "Malfoy! We cannot linger here all day!" No reply came from inside the room. She placed her hands on her hips and began to tap a foot on the floor as she waited for him to say something. But before anything else was said, the door opened again. He was standing there with that same expressionless face, but was wearing black pants with a black hooded coat and a Slytherin style scarf falling around his neck. The normal ensemble on weekends…black.

"I think I would rather come in something _other_ than my pajama's, Granger," he said lowly, pushing past her. Hermione stumbled slightly and heaved a sigh, rolling her eyes.

And so started the day from hell.

They had made their way to Hogsmeade village without breaking out in any arguments of theirs, which both thought a good thing, though Draco would never admit that it was always quite amusing when it came. The crisp, winter air was still that day and the sky was covered in what looked like clouds that were ready to burst with snow. Each of them cast occasional side-glances at the other, wondering what was keeping the other so quiet as a few snowflakes began to fall freely from the sky.

They soon stopped before a small shop and each breathed a sigh of relief, their breath coming out in misty clouds of white. Hermione smiled slightly and walked towards the door, pushing her way inside. The sweet smells of the air inside the shop flowed around her as she breathed deep and sighed. A smile pulled at her lips as she began to walk towards the counter in the back, Draco right behind her, but not saying anything. She greeted the old man behind the counter as Draco stopped at her side, his eyes on the old man.

"Ah, yes! Good day! Dumbledore owled me that you two would be on your way!" he said joyfully as he took a few steps back towards the back room. Hermione smiled politely and nodded.

"Yes-," she started, but was cut off by the old man.

"I have just what you two came for out back here!" he said nodding towards the room behind him. "Dumbledore wanted the best!" he added, disappearing behind the curtains that hung in the narrow doorway. Hermione slowly looked up and met Draco's eyes. She cocked an eyebrow and soon shrugged her shoulders, casting her gaze back towards the doorway. She sighed and set her elbows on the wooden counter (which conveniently was about four feet tall), placing her chin in her hands, waiting for the scraggly man to remerge from behind the curtain.

"What do you suppose he has for us?" she murmured only seconds before the man popped out from behind the curtain. He was carrying a small box and Hermione jumped up when he placed it onto the counter as she eyed it. "Uh…sir…what _is_ that? I mean…how much can really fit in there?" she asked, pointing at the box.

"Nothing much! Just some decorations. Dumbledore had my wife sew up some beautiful banners and such." Hermione nodded, not persuaded. "It's under a spell. If it weren't you'd be needin' about fifty more boxes, triple the size." Hermione nodded again, now also understanding that he had a wife that could probably sew miles a minute. "My wife really got her use of bewitching the needles to sew for her. I reckon she'd be hurtin' if she hadn't," he added, casting Hermione's previous thoughts into the back of her mind.

"What do we owe you?" Draco asked, finally saying something. He stepped back up to the counter and pushed his hands in his pockets. The clerk waved it off and mumbled something about Dumbledore taking care of everything. "Alright then," Draco said taking the box with a curt nod and walking towards the door. Hermione rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Thank you, sir," she said politely with a smile before she turned to catch up to Draco. She ran up to his side and glared at him as his icy eyes were fixed ahead. "Do you have any idea how entirely rude that was?" she asked as the snow began to fall more thickly from the sky.

"I was rude in no way," Draco stated firmly as Hermione scoffed.

"Oh really? You didn't even say thank you!" she said, crossing her arms on her chest as Draco groaned and threw his head back.

"What does it matter to you?" he asked, flashing his eyes towards her to see her reaction.

"Nothing, of course!" she said quickly. "I would just rather not be seen with someone who comes off as a horrible git," she murmured. Draco sneered and shook his head as he walked down the center of the snow-covered street. His blond hair shook around his forehead as Hermione watched him, a slight smile tugging the corners of her lips. "You know you are a complete git, don't you?" she asked. "As a matter of fact, I think you try to act so." Draco cocked an eyebrow and looked down at her as he tried to refrain from smiling, but couldn't help it. His lips parted lightly in a small smile as Hermione smirked up at him. "Oh! Malfoy smiles! I didn't know it could happen!" she shouted, gathering attention from the witches and wizards around them. "Does it hurt, _Draco_?" she asked, emphasizing her use of his first name with her tone. "Or do you simply not want to come off as having a personality?"

She should _really_ know when to stop.

Draco turned suddenly and grasped her upper arm with his free hand. His eyes were ice cold as the glared at her face and his lips had formed a tight, straight line. "Stop," he ordered in a very low tone as she watched him with mirth. Hermione's smile widened and she wriggled from his grasp, taking a few steps back. Her eyes rose back to his from where his hand was on her arm and she blinked, narrowing her eyes.

"No," she stated and with that she grinned and began walking off. She had her fists balled and her chin raised so high that it almost looked as if she were looking up at the clouds. Hermione then began to strut in a prideful manner down the center of the street, as if to say 'bow before me!' She finally turned and grinned again as Draco watched her with wide eyes through the falling snowflakes. "Guess who I am?" she stated in a pompous tone, turning around once more and strutting down the snow covered path with a proud smirk.

She was mocking him.

She was mocking Draco Malfoy!

How dare her!

Draco glared and stalked up to her side, pulling her to a stop. "That's _enough_," he stated in a whisper, but all Hermione did was grin wider.

"Ew, disgusting. Don't touch _me_, mudblood!" she mocked in a whisper, her eyes gleaming with laughter. She then wretched her arm away and took a few steps back. Draco watched her in disbelief as she began to strut back down the village and towards the path to Hogwarts. What the _hell_ did she think she was doing? Mocking him like that. Making him look like an absolute fool. Draco _never_ looked like _that_. Did he?

No, of course not.

And Hermione _had_ to be informed of this.

Draco smirked lightly and began walking behind her, watching her form as she made her way out of the town and towards Hogwarts. And once Draco was out of the view of anyone, he broke out into a run after her as his cheeks grew pink from the freezing snow in his face.

Hermione furrowed her eyebrows as she heard quick footsteps behind her. Ceasing her steps, she slowly turned around to see Draco quickly gaining on her. Hermione squeaked lightly and turned, running down the path. She threw a glance over her shoulder every few seconds and came to notice that her speed was no match for his. He was still steadily gaining on her as her cheeks began to flush. She shut her eyes briefly as she ran and opened them back up, trying her best to run faster as giggles erupted from her throat. And then…

She was lying on the ground, watching the snow slip gracefully down to the ground. Her breath was coming out in pants and little clouds of mist were filling the air before her face. She could feel Draco's arm wrapped around her back, for he had quickly caught up to her and grasped her around the waist, pushing her down. Hermione had yelped and soon found herself with a mouth full of snow. She spat the snow out and tried to push herself up, but felt pressure on her back. Cocking an eyebrow, she tried to push herself up again, but was immediately stopped in action when Draco stood up from next to her and sat right down sideways on her butt, brushing the snow from his coat.

Hermione froze. Her breath caught in her throat. Her face was most likely turning to the color of deep red like her Gryffindor sweater. This was not good. What the hell was he doing?

"What…what do you think your d-doing?" she asked, stumbling on her words a bit.

Oh Lord, did she really have to stutter now?

This really wasn't the time!

"Sitting," Draco replied matter-of-factly. Hermione heaved a sigh and tried to pull out from under him, but fell back down to the ground.

"It's awfully cold down here," Hermione stated. Draco chuckled and as he clasped his hands together and placed his elbows on his knees.

"I imagine so," he said, amusement filling his tone. Hermione rolled her eyes and tried to look back at him, which really confused her. She really had no idea why she wanted to look at him with the position they were in at the moment. She would most likely crumble and die of embarrassment.

"Malfoy, please, can you-,"

"Get off of you? No," he replied flatly.

"Why not?" Hermione asked, exasperatedly. Draco shrugged and tapped her lightly on her back.

"Because I have to tell you something." Hermione rose her eyebrows.

"Something to tell me?"

"Yes, that's quite right," he stated, a grin stretching across his face when Hermione heaved another sigh.

"Well, tell me then so I can get up and chase you down!" Draco laughed making her stomach flutter with butterflies.

"You want to be on top, is that it, Granger?" he asked.

"Of course not!" Hermione shouted, banging her fists in the snow.

"So you like it better down there?"

"No!" she argued as she huffed with anger and Draco laughed lightly.

"If you say so, then."

"Please, just tell me so I can get up, Draco." Draco paused for a moment before going on. She had used his name. Only his father and Pansy used his name. No one else. Yet…when she said it…he actually didn't mind. It was…refreshing, actually. Draco decided at that moment, he liked it when Granger called him by his first name. Yes, he quite liked it.

"No, I think I'll wait. I'm rather enjoying this," he stated simply, only causing Hermione to grumble and wriggle him off of her with all her might. She finally got to her feet and smirked when she saw him standing from the ground, but quickly erased it from her features. "What was that for!" Draco asked her, brushing his clothes off.

"I wonder!" Hermione joked, also brushing off her clothes as she began to walk down the path towards Hogwarts. "You are such a pig, Malfoy!" she shot at him as she stomped through the snow, her lips curved into a frown. Draco rolled his eyes and pulled a chocolate bar from his coat pockets, taking a bite from it. "You do not even know how much of a pig you are! You are so immature! Grow up and stop being such a git, Malfoy! Are you even capable of growing up!"

Like before, she should really know when to stop.

Draco, once again, grasped her arm with his free hand. He pulled her back and stood before her, his chocolate bar still in his other hand and the box they had picked up in Hogesmeade, still sitting in the snow. His eyes narrowed and he slowly walked, pushing her back towards a tree she didn't know was there, but would have wished it wasn't. Hermione watched him with wide eyes as his gaze pierced into hers. Her cheeks flushed slightly more and she let her lips part.

"Malfoy, stop," she said harshly, trying (but failing) to snake her arm out of his hand. Draco pushed her back further and smirked when her back hit the tree softly. He saw her body tense and caught himself smiling inside at how adorable she could be when she was nervous. He had stepped up to her, his body so close to hers, the fabric of his coat was rubbing against her sweater as they breathed (not that she was breathing much). His neck was bent slightly and his face was staring down at hers, his blond hair falling before his eyes (Hermione holding back the urge to swipe it away).

"Malfoy…" she whimpered in a whisper as she felt his hand loosen and travel up to lay on her shoulder and then to rest on her bare neck. His soft skin on hers made her entire body tremble with chills, as he looked down at her, ever so slowly moving towards her. His lips had parted slightly and his face was still moving yet closer to hers as she screamed in her head for him not do what she was thinking he was up to. And to top it all off, her heart was beating wildly in her chest, making her believe that she was only moments away from a severe heart attack.

When his lips were only mere inches from hers and she could feel the hot moisture of his breath curling around her skin, Hermione gave up. She lost all thoughts and just watched his eyes twinkling. It was only her and him, standing there with the snow falling around them, hazing everything in a spotless white sheet. Only her and him…and how perfect it seemed to be.

And just when he parted his lips a little more and it seemed that he was finally going to press his lips to hers, he brought his chocolate bar up to his mouth and took a bite out of it. Draco let both of his arms fall to his side and he chewed as Hermione shivered from the cold air on her neck. Then with a smirk and a wink, he backed away and began to walk towards Hogwarts after picking up the box of decorations.

All the while, a very dazed Hermione was leant up against a snow covered tree, the snow falling around her as she watched his retreating back. Her face was flushed and her heart still racing beneath her bones.

But she wasn't thinking about her thumping heart.

No, not at all.

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**Oh, Lord, am I evil or what! Ha-ha-ha! Review please! **

P.S. The chocolate bar thing was from the movie, Ms. Congeniality. I didn't make that up myself.


	8. Challenge

**Hiya. Thanks all for the reviews. **

**Disclaimer- I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter. **

**_Please_, if you (you know who you are) want to just pick apart my portrayal of Hermione, then keep it to yourself, _especially_ if _you_ haven't tried writing her. Not everything is so damn easy as it seems to be.  
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The door slammed shut tight behind Draco as he stormed into his bedroom. Trying to vent out his anger, he cast a punch at the wall and leaned up against it after hitting it a few more times. His eyes scrunched tight together and he ran a hand through his hair as he fell back towards his bed. Colorful curses were falling from his lips quietly as he stuffed his pillow over his face and shook his head. 

Merlin, he almost kissed her.

Draco Malfoy almost _kissed_ Hermione Granger.

The blond haired Slytherin threw the pillow from his face for it to land across the room before he began to massage his aching knuckles. A pained groan escaped his throat as he sat up and threw his face in his hands, rubbing his eyes. What would everyone say about this? What would _father_ say about this?

Lucius…damn.

He could definitely _never_ find out about this. If Lucius Malfoy ever even dreamed of Draco falling for a mudblood, he would have Draco's head right there. And on top of that, a mudblood and a pureblood? That was just unheard of. Surely if the news ever got out that Draco Malfoy, pureblooded, Slytherin prince, came only centimeters away from kissing Granger, his life would end right there. He would cease to exist. Draco Malfoy would be a memory.

And a bad memory at that.

Draco had tried to make the whole exchange between them a joke. Sure he wanted to make it seem like he was toying with Granger. He wanted her to believe that he saw her as just a plaything. But…no. It took almost all Draco had to back away and leave his entire body unhappy at the misfortunate events. His whole being had been tingling with undeniable excitement as their bodies touched with every breath they drew in. And then to just back away with not a shred of consolation such as a measly little kiss to calm him down? That was almost painful for him.

So now, here in his room, he could only think, 'What _if_?'

Hermione had seemed so vulnerable, so _inviting_, standing there up against the tree. She had been powerless before him and there wasn't one bitsy thing stopping Draco from moving in to relieve himself of his inner torment. Yet…he just _had_ to pull away. It seemed like it was the right thing to do. There was almost this secret, silent force in his mind, tugging him away and throwing him into the darkness to suffer. How ever much he would spend his time fighting against it…he was always reminded of the seemingly brutal truth.

Hermione Granger was a mudblood.

Therefore, everything including the head-boy and the head-girl was wrong, utterly _wrong_.

Then why, dear Merlin, did he want to feel his lips on hers so _damn_ much? Why did it forever seem like there was a constant force, pulling him towards her, only to push him back again? Why was there this odd tingling feeling coursing throughout his entire body every time her eyes' set on him? Why did his stomach seem to do flips and his lungs seem to give out every time he felt her near him? Why, oh why, did she have to look so _damn_ appealing?

Draco shook his head. One day…one day he was going to lose it. He was going to lose control and act out his wishes, damning himself forever afterwards.

Sighing, Draco pushed himself from his bed and walked over to his desk, grasping his quill and some parchment. Making his way over to his door, he peeked outside into the common room and sighed quietly in relief when the room was empty. He then strode over to the couches and plopped down in front of the fire, ready to start the potions essay that was assigned a few days before. But, no matter how long he sat there, the only words that seemed to make it down onto the parchment were his name, date, and the title of the essay. His mind was definitely elsewhere.

After sitting there for almost an hour, with nothing more scratched onto the parchment, Draco threw his quill down in disgust. How could something so small and unimportant be getting to him like this? This was almost unbearable.

He soon placed the parchment aside and grasped his robes from the vertical hanger near the portrait hole. Throwing the robes around his shoulders, he exited the room and began to walk down the dark corridor towards the Great Hall. Maybe there he would find the distraction he most needed.

Once he arrived at the Slytherin table, Draco sat down on the bench and rest his arms and hands on the table. He had sat with Goyle on one side and Blaise, who was currently speaking with Pansy, on the other side of him. They were all speaking rather quietly like normal and Draco sighed wearily. They were so…tedious.

"So Snape told me yesterday during Potions that a squirrel had more to account for than me," Goyle slowly said to Crabbe, who was nodding his head up and down, a frown spread across his features. "I still don't see what Snape was trying to get at, but…" he murmured as he looked up at the roof, making Draco roll his eyes widely at Goyle's stupidity. If only Crabbe and Goyle had brains…

Just then, Pansy began to squeal with giggles after being told a few things from Blaise. His eyes were watching her intently as he talked on, getting Pansy more and more absorbed in the junk he had to say. At this, Draco shook his head and sighed, letting his fists drop to the table. What had he done to deserve such moronic friends?

"I was thinking…" Draco stated, grasping the attention of everyone around him.

He smirked.

Hermione groaned, falling back on her bed as she let the breath out she had been holding all the way back from that spot in the forest. That spot in the forest where she had almost had a hyperventilation attack. He was so close, so close! It was a lucky thing that Hermione had not screamed right then and there in nerve. There was a part of her that just wanted to push him away and stride back towards the castle. And then far off, in the back corners of her mind, there was a part of her that just wanted to grab his face and pull him to her. But as he had come closer and closer, she was tangled in her thoughts, not sure what the hell to do, so just ended up standing there like a brainless idiot, watching him advance on her slowly and painfully.

And now in the dark of her room, Hermione regretted. She regretted not pushing him away and striding off towards the castle. Why? Because it would have saved her from the embarrassment that came out in the end. It would have saved her from the thoughts she was having that were not really all to her liking. It would have saved her from _this_. The nagging feeling she felt in the back of her mind, begging her to just think about what would have happened if he held her there a moment longer. Just one, short moment that would answer all of her questions, only to follow creating a million times more.

With a huff, Hermione rolled over on to her side. Her mind wandered back to only about a half an hour ago when they were there, standing in the forest. She remembered the way his cheeks had become slightly pink from the cool air, making him seem so innocent (insert "pfftt!" here) and handsome at the same time. She remembered the way strands of his straight blond hair had fallen before his brow as he leaned his head towards hers. She remembered how her heart seemed to want to leap from her chest as she saw his lips part. She remembered how his body was touching hers and how the warmth of his breath-

Damn it! No! She was not supposed to remember anything, for Merlin's sake! This was Malfoy! Surely she can't have begun to fall for Malfoy!

Could she have?

NO!

What would Harry and Ron say? Probably something along the lines that would make Hermione feel idiotic for even thinking that she fancied Malfoy. Hermione really didn't want to know and really had no intention of ever knowing what Harry and Ron would think. Actually she probably wouldn't even be able to face the two boys, the two boys that hated any Slytherin to all ends. And Draco Malfoy most of all.

Sure, the Slytherin prince was undoubtedly very attractive. But it was nothing more than that. Hermione insisted to herself that if she randomly picked up a dictionary and looked up the word "git," there would be a nice page size portrait of a smug Draco Malfoy. That also went for the words "immature," "pig," "evil," and most of all, "torture."

After little more than an hour and a half of cleaning anything and everything in her room, Hermione sighed and peeked out into the common room. It seemed Draco had just left, by the small fire that was still burning in the hearth. She heaved a sigh of relief and walked to the vertical hanger, which she retrieved her robes from. Hermione then left the common room while putting the robe around her shoulders and clasping it at the front.

Only few minutes later, she was at the entrance of the Great Hall, pushing the mercilessly heavy doors open. Her eyes unconsciously wandered over to the Slytherin table where she saw Draco surrounded by his housemates. Hermione quickly ripped her gaze away and smiled weakly when she found Harry and Ron. Harry seemed to be talking to Ron about quidditch by the way he threw his arms about in the air. And Ron on the other hand, was sitting there, watching Harry between large mouthfuls of chicken.

Draco raised his gaze to find Hermione hastily walking towards Harry and Ron. Her strides were short and quick as she watched the floor pass beneath her. She was obviously trying not to look at the Slytherin table, too afraid to meet his eyes. Draco chuckled to himself at her childish ways and shook his head, never tearing his gaze from her as she sat down next to Harry.

"Draco?" Pansy asked, waving a hand before his face. He jumped slightly and came back to his thoughts as he noticed the four people surrounding him and the odd looks they were giving him. Blaise, who was not as slow and painfully stupid as the rest of his friends, had looked over to where Draco was staring and raised an eyebrow, looking between Hermione and him. And after giving Blaise a warning look, he quickly went back to the conversation.

"Hey, Hermione," Harry said, stopping halfway in his sentence to greet her. Ron nodded and smiled, chicken on his bared teeth. Hermione frowned and said a quiet 'hello' before beginning to eat her own meal. Harry rose his eyebrows and crossed his arms on the table, watching Hermione intently. "What's wrong?" he finally asked. Hermione's eyes lifted from her plate and she slowly looked at the two boys watching her.

"Nothing. I'm fine, Harry," she said in a stable tone.

"You seem…bothered," Harry said worriedly as Ron looked on in concern.

"Harry!" Hermione laughed. "I'm fine. There is absolutely nothing wrong." she added, chuckling some more and eating another spoon full of mashed potatoes.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked, having put his fork down.

"I'm sure," she stated, a confirming smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

And so it was. Hermione sat there in her seat, thanking Merlin for not giving her away. She almost wanted to fall to her knees and thank the almighty for keeping her calm and collected before Harry and Ron. No doubt a flushed face and shaking limbs would tell the two Gryffindors' automatically that something was, indeed, wrong.

Wait…what was she thinking? Nothing was wrong! Everything was perfectly in order, just the way she liked it. All she had to do was to keep telling herself that. Eventually this "problem" would work out. Right?

Sorry, but no.

Hermione had quickly left the Great Hall that day, not sparing one small glance at the Slytherin table. She gathered her things and clutched them tightly to her chest as she walked down the dark corridor, the halls lit by the fire from numerous torches. The warmth spread around her skin, warming her body as the snow whipped harshly about on the other side of the glass windows. The only sounds were that of her shoes, clunking against the cement floors and-

Merlin, it was him.

Fucking _brilliant_.

Daring another peek over her shoulder, she caught him just turning the corner. He was walking with his face down, reading silently from a flyer as he made his way closer to the portrait. His blond hair was covering his brow and bouncing up with each and every step he took. The robes hanging from his shoulders were unclasped and hanging at his side, revealing his tall, slim form to her eyes. Hermione frowned and sped up, stopping before the portrait and tugging viciously at her own robes.

"Ah, how are you today, dears?" the fat lady asked, casting her eyes' to Hermione and then over Hermione's shoulder. Who was she looking at? Surely Draco couldn't have caught up that fast. "Don't you give me that face of yours, Mister Malfoy!" the fat lady added, pointing her finger behind Hermione, who immediately froze in her spot.

Oh DEAR.

Draco smiled smugly and nodded a polite greeting to the woman in the portrait. He slowly took a step forward, his shoulder brushing Hermione's when he stopped at her frozen side. She jumped slightly and took a step away from him. His lips curled up further and after saying the password softly, the portrait flew open, revealing the way into the common room. Neither took notice of this though, for Draco stood rooted in his spot, while he watched Hermione stand there her eyes' flashing about, never landing once on him.

"Thanks," Hermione croaked out, her throat seeming to want to give out on her when she needed it most. She hurriedly walked through the portrait hole and through the common room, not bothering to hang her robe on the vertical hanger next to the hole. Her heart was beating wildly in her chest and stopped suddenly when she felt a hand on her shoulder. A warm, comforting hand, sending shivers through her entire body. "What?" Hermione muttered, wondering what she had ever done to deserve such mental torture.

"Your robe," Draco said flatly. Hermione frowned further and clamped her eyes shut. She stood there, raking her mind for an excuse to not face him. And finally after taking a shallow breath and turning her face sideways, not forgetting her manners, she murmured her answer in a soft tone.

"It's cold."

And with that, she shrugged his hand from her shoulder, adjusted her hold on her books, and tensely walked into her dorm. The door shut quietly behind her while she walked to her desk, dropping the books down on it. Drawing in a deep breath, she fell back on her bed and groaned at herself in dissatisfaction. Her mind was reeling with thoughts about what had happened and it was about to make her sick. Since when did Hermione Granger act like _that_? Since when did this head-girl become so helpless when being in a totally innocent situation? Since _when_?

Just being around him now made her stomach curl and crumble. Her face would flush and her skin burn. Breaths would come at much lesser intervals only to suddenly stop altogether. And to top it off, she couldn't even think straight! This was truly almost nauseating. How could she even have thought for a second before that she was falling for him? Just think _what_ that would do to her! It would probably be agonizing beyond words!

No, she was definitely not falling for Draco Malfoy.

Love is supposed to be beautiful and amazing, not frightening and bothersome.

So this…this…avoiding _business_ had to stop. How was she going to go on living, spending each and every minute of her day, avoiding one whom she'd have to work with several times in the remainder of the year? She'd most likely go back to the way she was just the past week; the "deprived animal" Draco had put so eloquently.

That sod.

How she hated him and everything that had to do with him.

The smirk widened on his face when Hermione muttered her answer and disappeared into her room. Who knew that Hermione Granger could be so…frightened? This only meant that she was going to, oh lord, _avoid_ Draco. Therefore, Hermione Granger was going to be a challenge. Yes, a challenge, he concluded during those short twenty-five minutes in the Great Hall, consumed by keeping his eye on Granger. He had decided what his new interest was going to be for the next few days, maybe weeks, tops. He also came to the idea that once he got what he wanted, all these foreign, unusual feelings would fly away, never to bother him again, so there really was no more point in avoiding her. And no matter how odd, or crazy, or just simply insane his new conclusion was, Draco made no attempt to stop himself.

No one, not one single person could find out though. This had to be a total secret, only for his and Granger's ears to hear. If this ever got out, Draco would be mortified. He would be mutilated by not only the other members of the Golden Trio, but by his own friends after they join forces together! He would be considered a loony boy who went out of his mind. Good lord, even Goyle would write a letter of recommendation to St. Mungo's for him. And that was definitely saying _something_!

But that would never happen. No, of course not. And Draco would make sure it never happened. There was only one thought buzzing through his head at the moment, setting the grin in place on his face as he stuffed his hands in his pockets and strode towards his dorm.

He wanted Granger.

Simple - as - _that_.

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Hope you all liked it. I know it's short, but this chapter was absolutely hell to write. **

**REVIEW please! **


	9. Difficult

**Hey guys! Sorry that this chapter is so late! I seriously just haven't known what to write. After receiving those reviews telling me this past chapter was the best one yet, I felt like I had to top it. But now, after realizing that I have totally dried out Hermione and Draco's brains of their thoughts on the matter, I really don't think I can top that past chapter yet. I'll do that every once in a while…you know, write a chapter that is based around the main characters feelings, while the most of the other chapters are pretty much dialogue and interactions between the two. Anyway, hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else from Harry Potter.

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It was a simple matter really. All Draco was going to have to do was chase after Hermione, hoping that she would soon give in to him. Though of course she would give into him! He was Draco Malfoy. Slap yourself over the head, because Draco Malfoy is definitely going to get her. So it wasn't really a question of if it will happen or when it will happen. The question was how?

Draco stood from his bed and walked towards the window. He leant up against the sill as he watched the snow fly brutally outside, swirling in what looked like small tornadoes. A smile tugged at his lips as thoughts began reeling through his mind, each one seeming even more amusing and genius than the other did. Just some displays of his superior charm and wit and Granger would be falling into his arms in a matter of minutes!

So what if Hermione had been avoiding him for the past few days since Draco found his new interest. Surely she can't avoid him _forever_. That would be completely insane! And she, even though Draco would never say this for anything before the public eye, had a good head on her shoulders. Hermione Granger surely knew better than to let anything get in the way of her studies, even Malfoy, no matter how much that one thought made him steam at the ears.

With a grin set upon his lips, Draco walked towards the door into the common room. He quietly pulled it open and looked around the cozy room before standing before Hermione's bedroom door. And after straightening out his hair and robes, Draco laid his knuckles upon the wood and rapped softly. He slowly ran a hand through his hair and smirked, waiting for the head-girl to emerge.

"Malfoy," Hermione said flatly, after removing the faint expression of shock from her eyes. Draco smirked wider and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He stood there only moments longer, raking his eyes stealthily over her figure, only to soon meet her angered gaze.

"Granger," he drawled silkily, causing Hermione to raise an eyebrow. Leaning himself up against the side of the door casing, he grinned, his eyes sparkling with desire. He parted his lips slightly, his pure white teeth seeming to gleam with his smug expression. "So nice to see you," he added, never ripping his eyes from hers.

"What do you want?" she asked quietly, stumbling on her words and cursing herself mentally after. Why did she have to be so…so…nervous around him? It was like he had…control over her or something! She swallowed the lump in her throat again when Draco's smirk widened and he took a few steps closer, finally pushing past her. He walked lazily into her room and stopped at the window, looking out of it while resting his hands in his pockets. "What are you doing!" Hermione snapped, forgetting herself and finally making a crack in her shell of nervousness.

Draco turned and smiled a true, bright, and most _charming_, smile. Good Merlin, Hermione never even dreamed that a smile on that particular face could look so good, so attractive. He was perfect, angelic almost.

…Oh, I bet.

Her breath caught in her throat momentarily as Draco slowly walked up to her, his eyelids slightly heavy over his eyes. His hair was hanging slightly into his vision and he raised his hand, wiping a few strands away before stopping a few inches from Hermione.

"Dumbledore sent me an owl. We are to patrol the halls this evening." Hermione cocked an eyebrow and crossed her arms on her chest. She took a few steps back, trying to calm the thumping in her chest. Surely being that close to him was dangerous, very dangerous. Who knows what could happen? Not Hermione and it was definitely something she did not want to know.

"Let me see the letter," she demanded flatly, placing her open palm out before him.

Draco opened his mouth to retort, but paused. Of course there was no letter. He had just made it up so he could hopefully get some time with Hermione. The blond haired Slytherin knew of course he'd need a reasonable excuse to spend time with her or there wouldn't be a chance in hell he'd get to spend time with her.

"I don't have it."

"Well, where is it?" she snapped, crossing her arms on her chest again and raising her eyebrows.

With a smirk, Draco stuffed his hands in his pockets and replied simply, "I confirmed the question on the back and sent it back to Dumbledore."

Hermione eyed him skeptically and sighed heavily, letting her eyes' drift shut while she wished that this were some sort of nightmare. Draco cleared his throat loudly causing her eyes to drift open and watch him carefully. He was standing there, a grin tugging at his lips and his eyelids still heavy. His eyes were gleaming, almost as if they were trying to draw her in, trying to persuade her into saying yes. She slowly let her mouth fall open and she said a quiet answer.

"Alright…fine…lets go," she mumbled. And without another look, Hermione walked past Draco and grasped her robes from the vertical hanger. She carefully shined her Head-girl badge before clasping it onto the front of the black fabric. With a faint frown, she turned and walked out the portrait hole, a very excited head-boy trailing behind.

"So…how are you lately?" Draco asked after a few minutes of walking the corridors in silence. Each of them were walking at a steady pace, Hermione careful to keep her path at least a few feet from Draco's. She quickly flashed her glance towards him at the unexpected question and cocked an eyebrow, averting her gaze again.

"I'm…alright…"

"Wonderful," he replied, smirking and closing the space between their paths by little.

"What are you doing?" Hermione suddenly asked, turning her head towards him. She wasn't stupid, or slow, or thick. Draco was up to something, but what?

"Walking in the corridor with a beautiful girl," he answered, his voice raspy and thick.

Hermione's eyes widened as she damned herself for even asking the question. She quickly set the space between them right again, before letting her jaw drop open and mustering all her senses to reply. "E-excuse me?" she questioned, causing Draco to grin further.

"You heard what I said Granger." Hermione halted her steps and turned towards him, forgetting everything that had happened in the past few days. And after walking a few steps further, Draco also stopped and turned back to find her watching him with her arms crossed on her chest. She had her jaw jutted forward and had her face slightly angled at him. He almost had the urge to lunge at her right there and take her for all she had. Good thing Draco Malfoy has a strong will or else he might have found himself dead by the next half-hour.

"Don't start to joke with me, you bastard," Hermione snapped, drawing herself up to her full height. Draco's lip curled and he strut towards her, stopping only a few inches from her. He opened his mouth, letting his warm breath linger on her face before leaning in a few inches closer.

"No joke, Granger." A laugh erupted from the head-girls throat as she backed away and began to walk down the corridor. Her heels clunked on the floor with every step she took away from him. Draco frowned and jogged up to her side, watching her profile as she walked. Her face seemed so…strong. Her lips were in a tight, straight line, her eyebrows knitted, and her eyes gazing straight ahead, never once taking a glance at him, until…

"Why do you avoid me so?" he asked.

"Avoid you?" Hermione repeated dryly.

"Yes, that," he confirmed.

"I do _no_ such thing." Draco chuckled, shaking his head.

"Oh, I beg to differ." Hermione scoffed and cast a quick sidelong glance towards Draco's face, wishing silently that she would be able to keep her façade up.

"Is that so?" she asked, amazing herself at how the way she was starting to talk to him.

"_Granger_, you avoid me at _all_ costs," he stated, counting off his fingers. "You avert your eyes in the halls," he said, putting another finger up. "You _never_ acknowledge me anymore when we are alone in the common room," he added, still counting. "And even now, you stray away from normal _conversation_," Draco drawled out, holding out his counted fingers to her. Hermione quickly rolled her eyes and kept walking.

"I do _not_ avoid normal conversation." Draco laughed heartily and sighed, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

"Can't take the _truth_ now, can you, Granger?"

"I most definitely _can _take truth!" she shot back at Draco, who by now was looking at her, a smile spread clearly across his face.

"Then _prove_ it," he whispered, stepping before her, blocking her from going any further. With not another step forward and almost crashing into Draco, Hermione took a slow step back. She stuttered for a few seconds before uttering a shaky answer.

"There is nothing to prove."

"Sure there is," Draco retorted.

"What then?" Hermione asked, taking a few more steps back and finally locking her gaze with his. Draco felt his breath hitch in his throat and quickly recovered, clearing his throat softly.

"I say you're beautiful," Draco whispered, closing the distance between them by a few inches. "And if you can take the truth, you will take that just fine."

With a shallow breath, the head-girl took another step back, never tearing her eyes from his. It was almost as if she was too afraid to do it, but it just couldn't be done. She couldn't leave him to himself. She had to go on in this conversation. If she didn't, surely it would rip at her mind for the rest of the year, not knowing what in good Merlin he was talking about. Insanity always has a reason. So this, _this_, had to have a reason.

But, no matter how much Hermione wanted to know, however much she wanted to continue, she couldn't help it. Hermione Granger wasn't going to stand there and let Draco Malfoy defile her like he seemed to be trying to do. She wasn't going to let him play with her mind, reeling her in, only to throw her into the back when he was done having his fun with her. So with a shake of her head, she quickly pushed past Draco and began to walk quickly away from him.

"Ha! You can't take it, can you?" Draco called, jogging back up to her, almost ready to hold his stomach from the aches of laughter. Okay, maybe he was taking this a little out of hand…but it was just _too_ amusing to give up! He really had to give it to her. She knows how to amuse him. Not a thing many know how to do.

"I'm not going to continue the conversation."

"Suit yourself, Granger. Just _know_ that _I_ was right. You _can't_ take the truth _and_ you are avoiding me," he boasted, clasping his hands behind his back as he walked at her side, his chin raised so far up in the air that he could have looked as if gasping for air.

Hermione scoffed once again and crossed her arms on her chest as she began to walk down the hall. "I can't believe you," she murmured, shaking a few hairs from her eyes. "You are _such_ a twisted little ferret."

"Please, Granger, _enough_ with the names," he asked, turning a corner down a dark hall, lit by only a few torches.

Not answering his request, Hermione replied, "No one is ever up here anymore… Let's turn back towards the common room."

"I think your wrong, Granger."

"Pardon?"

"I said that 'you're wrong,'" he whispered urgently, grasping her upper arm and tugging her around a corner. Hermione squeaked and almost fell over, but caught her footing just in time. Draco softly covered her mouth with his hand and cautiously looked around the corner, while holding her around the waist, pressing her back to his chest. "I heard something…" he said. "Someone is down the corridor…coming this way…" he added quietly into her ear, his breath flowing onto her skin and warming it instantly, sending shivers down Hermione's back.

And then Hermione heard it. There was someone down the corridor. But…why would they have to hide? They were head-boy and head-girl, for Merlin's sake! They had _badges_! They would not get in trouble for patrolling the corridors at night! Especially when Dumbledore insisted!

He did…right?

Sorry, Hermione.

Without another thought, Draco looked down the dark hall they were hiding in. He raised an eyebrow when his eyes' fell upon a door. It was a dark door, which he could have sworn was not there just a minute ago. That was it. It wasn't there just a minute ago. Draco smirked, realizing just what room this was. And then as if on impulse, he tightened his grip on Hermione and slowly trudged down the hallway against her protests, and grasped he handle, praying that she wouldn't scream when he let his hand leave her lips. He turned the knob and quietly pushed the door open, pulling her in with him. She was grumbling protests quietly, obviously having heard the movement in the halls.

Draco let go of her waist and pressed his ear to the wood of the door. Footsteps were slowly coming closer, beginning to rumble softly in his ears. Hermione stumbled back and clasped her hands before her navel as she stepped closer, trying to press her ear to the door to hear, but was stopped when he jutted his arm and held her away to stop her. His eyes were narrowed in thought as he listened intently to the sounds on the outside of the door. A few seconds later, the steps had walked by and were dissolving into the silence.

"Malfoy…why _are_ we hiding?" Hermione asked, in the pitch dark of the room. "I mean…we're supposed to be _patrolling_, aren't we?"

"I don't think that was a student, Granger," Draco commented in a whisper, his ear still pressed to the door.

"Well…what do you suppose _it_ was?" she asked, only to receive a shrug for an answer. "Where _are_ we, anyway?" Hermione added, not liking the dark of the room. It was definitely far too dangerous. Like everything else that included Draco, of course. If he came any closer, Hermione was _sure_ she'd lose control over herself. And _that_, would most certainly _not_ be a good thing.

Draco grinned and turned away from the door, not hearing the fall of footsteps in the corridor anymore. He followed the sound of her breathing and stopped just inches before her, knowing that he had her right where he wanted. He could feel her body heat, radiating into the cool of the room. Her breath was shallow and was coming out in warm, quiet puffs of air. His breathing was also shallow as he leaned in, his nose barely a centimeter from hers, finally able to see her eyes, which were wide in what looked almost like fear…or shock…or something that made him want her even more than before...

He was so close…so close…so close to just getting what he wanted. He could have done it right there. He could have pressed his lips to hers and kissed her with all that he had. He could have felt the relief of all the tension built up inside him. But…he just couldn't. Hermione deserved better. Hermione shouldn't have to deal with this. Draco wasn't going to corrupt her like that.

So instead, simply all he said in a raspy whisper was, "the room of requirement."

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**Ack, it's really short. I'm so sorry… This chapter is so…I don't know. I'm just going to post what I have since it's been so freaking long since I updated. I can't stay awake any longer. It's 1:08 in the morning and I'm dead tired. Hope you enjoy all that I could muster here. Love you guys. **

REVIEW please.

-krista


	10. Depart

**Hiya. Let me just say that I LOVE you guys. Thank you so much for all your beautiful support so far. It really helps when I'm trying to write a chapter and I can think of how happy it will make you guys to see an update. It motivates me. Thank you for that. **

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else from Harry Potter. **

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_So instead, simply all he said in a raspy whisper was, "the room of requirement."_

Hermione tried to intake a breath, but instead found her throat clenching to a close. Her eyes were beginning to adjust to the black of the room as her clammy hands fumbled with her wand, placed in her pocket. She could see Draco stop before her, his silver eyes' practically shining, filled with lust, desire, and victory, as he came only centimeters from her face. Yet, a small shadow of realization slipped past in the depths of his expression when he halted, standing before her, unmoving.

What else could this be called, but torture? Honestly. Even just standing there, with Draco's warm breath washing over her own face as she stood rooted, frozen in a state of complete and utter fright; fright of what he was about to do…of what _she_ was about to do… No matter how she tried to back away, to roll her eyes at him, to give him a small, measly scoff, she just couldn't. She was trapped. Completely trapped. There was nothing she could do. Nothing at all.

Draco let out a quiet, shaky breath, his eyes never leaving hers. He made no attempt at moving forward and taking what he had wanted for the past week, maybe longer. But, he also made no clear attempt to move away. His mind was racing around the fact that he had her right then and there, entirely vulnerable, yet entirely unattainable. How was he ever going to get what he longed for if he just stood there like a total coward?

Yes, that's right.

Coward.

Uh…wait.

After kicking himself mentally in many different and painful spots, ones that normally no one would be or should ever be able to reach, he steadied his thinking again.

No, no, no, Draco was no coward. This was different. The situation was too…easy. Yes, that's it. There was no possible way that he actually cared for her, worried about corrupting her. That would be…just…crazy! And Draco, was not crazy, nor ever would be if it were up to him. He was just not one to take the easy way out, this situation being a prime example, of course.

Who cared if Hermione looked so brilliantly beautiful at the moment? Surely Draco Malfoy could obtain himself. He was definitely no hormone driven young man and did not intend to act like one, not in the slightest.

If only he had the will when unexpected things happened.

Hermione shuddered, her eyes watching a trace of a smirk, pulling at the corners of Draco's lips. His eyes began to gleam and she almost had to slap herself for thinking her rotten, yes, rotten, thoughts from invading her saintly, yes, saintly, mind. But…it was all just too much, everything including the heat of his body radiating around her, to the odd way he was standing there, looking at her, to the very thought of them in the room of requirement…alone…in the dark…standing in terribly close proximity…alone…

And then, after gathering up all the possible Gryffindor courage packed inside her being, she let her jaw drop a few times, her lips parting lightly. Her eyes' were still widened, watching him, his every move, as she gathered her composure and began. "I…I think…it might be time…to get back to the c-common room, Malfoy," she stammered, her voice thick and husky. Her face burned as he studied her expression, taking in every second her voice filled his ears, reveling in it's sound and the way his surname rolled off her tongue so delicately and smoothly. His eyes slipped shut for a moment, the lids clamping together fiercely as he pleaded his body to stay under his mind's control.

What a seductress she was and she didn't even know it.

"I-I suppose that it's getting q-quite late," she said, barely above a whisper, never losing the husky tone.

It was happening.

He was losing himself.

Draco's eyes' stayed shut, the black swirling around in his vision, tracing intricate designs as he begged good Merlin to help him. Just to help him defy this…to help him avoid this…this… And then her voice broke through the intensity of the room once more. "Malfoy?" she breathed, her voice beginning to shake.

He was going. Almost gone. This couldn't be happening to him. How could this be happening to him?

Ordering himself to open his eyes, to sneer and then turn on his heel and walk away from her for as long as humanly possible, he inhaled deeply, yet quietly. His eyelids slowly parted and his eyes' began to focus on the girl before him. She was standing there, her eyes' wide, full of worry and confusion. Her face was still but centimeters from his. He saw the inner being of the bushy haired, female member of the wonderful Golden Trio that he had so long hated and tormented. He saw the girl before him, who, unlike his thoughts before, seemed to be not only the insufferable girl who hid behind the large books. Draco saw through the limits of her outer façade and saw the inner torment running through her eyes' as she stood there, apparently worried for the one person whom she had always hated.

For the first time, he saw her perfectly clear. The thick vale that had been placed between the two for so long was gone. It had disappeared, never to return. And that was it. That was all it took to draw him in the last ten meters and snap the rope.

He was lost. Absolutely lost. There was no hope now.

"Malfoy…are you alright?"

Only silence filled the room as he watched her, wondering what had happened to him and if he would ever be back.

"Malfoy?" she began again, "answer me."

Draco inhaled sharply.

"Draco, plea-…" Hermione was silenced, for the thing she had been dreading became a reality. He had done it.

Before thinking another word, before thinking about the consequences of the matter, before thinking about anything other than answering the simpering pleas' from his body, he finally gave in. Without any warning whatsoever, Draco leant towards her, closing the space between their skin, and placed his heated lips on the corner of her own. At the moment of their contact, it was like his entire being exploded with excite. Tingles rushed throughout his limbs as he felt their souls touch for that miniscule of time. Only for a few seconds did his soft lips remain beside hers before he pulled away, looking just as confused as the frozen form of Hermione before him.

And then Draco came to another realization.

Hermione Granger was different.

On impulse, he leaned in again, placing his lips squarely on hers. He stepped forward, letting his body form fully against hers as he slowly lifted one of his hands to the side of her face, which was still as tense and rigid as ever. Her scent filled his senses, causing him to sigh lightly, his palm slowly falling down her cheek. Everything about this kiss was so intoxicating to him. He had definitely never kissed a girl like this before. He had always been so quick and lustful with a girl, but this seemed so sincere and so real. And after a few more seconds, Draco pulled away, his hand falling to his side as she stared at him in speechlessness.

Then, a next realization came to mind.

Hermione Granger was addicting.

But before he could do anything else at all, Hermione's eyes' widened to the point that her eyeballs may have just fallen out if she kept them that way long enough. She stumbled back a step or two and brought her fingers to her lips slowly. They were still warm and were tingling lightly as she watched him and the flash of what almost seemed like fear travel across his silver-blue eyes. She choked on her breath as she took another wobbly step back, thinking about what has just occurred.

This was all too much. It was over the top.

And then Hermione did what came to mind first.

She ran, leaving a stunned Draco behind. Her shoes thumped on the stone floors as she went down the corridors, turning corner after corner, finally reaching the common room. After saying the password in a scratchy voice, she ran through the common room and into her own dorm, closing the door behind her. She leant against the door and found herself sliding slowly down the side of it as the moonlight shone into her room. And without another moment to pass, she let out a quiet sob, tears falling from her eyes.

It was particularly difficult to tell all that she was feeling at the moment as she sat there, bundled up against the wood of the door. She felt dirty, like she had done something wrong and would never be forgiven for it. Then she felt stupid and careless for running away like that, leaving Draco behind to regret his own actions. Then she felt dishonest for not even telling Draco what she had felt…what she had been thinking. She also felt angered at her own self for not responding to him like she would liked to have, but instead running like a coward…the exact opposite of what a true Gryffindor would have done.

But the feeling that rose over all the others was the overbearing feeling of confusion. What in Merlin's name had happened back there?

Draco groaned and lifted his hands to his face, rubbing the tenseness out of his skin. He wasn't going to fall and whine about being rejected like that. No. He was stronger than that. He walked from the room and down the hall, his strut still firmly in place, eager not to show his real emotions in public. This was the same Draco…just after some large realizations…and a lot of them at that. Nothing could take the Malfoy out of him. Not even Hermione.

At the moment…he was just a bit struck.

Once he had arrived back in the common room, he put out the fire in the hearth and went into his room. He had decided that tonight would not exactly be the perfect night for a confrontation. Now…tomorrow afternoon…that was sounding a _lot_ better.

He walked into his bedroom, letting the door slam shut behind him. Finally…he would be able to really think.

…Enough of that.

Before he could do anything else, Draco picked up the nearest object and sent it hurtling across the room. It smashed on the wall, it's shattered pieces flying in several directions. Another groan escaped his lips as he picked up another object and threw it, not caring whether or not he was ruining his own possessions or making a racket throughout his school. (No doubt Hermione could hear it.) He just wanted to get it out…the pent up frustration stuck inside of him. And _this_ seemed to be the simplest way.

He soon fell back onto the green sheets of his plush bed, his blond hair rustling with his movements. Exhaling loudly, he rubbed his face once again and turned on his side, staring out the window and into the dark night. Before he knew it, he had fallen into a daze, thinking about what had happened.

Draco Malfoy had kissed Hermione Granger. _Kissed_ her! Dear Merlin, if anyone ever found out, he would never hear the end of it. Not as though it was a horrible memory though. He couldn't help but remember the way it had felt to simply have her lips touch his. It was almost as if he had fallen under a spell of some sort, unable to even bear her standing there as she was. Most interesting it was…he had never felt so helpless…

Wait…helpless? Draco? Ha! This should be amusing to all ends.

So what was his plan now? Same as ever. He really didn't get what he wanted yet. Well…yeah he got to kiss her, but kissing a stiff, unresponsive person doesn't exactly count to him. No, Hermione had to be willing, _very_ willing. And Draco wasn't going to give up until he had that. He wasn't going to just forget about all those odd feelings that coursed through him when they touched. He wasn't going to forget anything. Draco was going to get what he wanted, no matter how long it took him.

The next morning Hermione had found Ginny in the Gryffindor common room. She beckoned her back to her head-girl bedroom and shut the door behind her as Ginny sat down on the edge of the bed, looking at a copy of the _Daily Prophet_. Hermione inhaled sharply and walked lazily over to her desk chair, sitting on the side of it and resting her arm over the back. "So what's up?" Ginny asked, flipping the page. Hermione sighed once again.

"Well…I'm stuck."

"You're stuck?" Ginny asked, letting out a little chuckle as she gave her friend an odd smile. "What on?"

"Well…I can't believe I'm telling you this…" Hermione said, rubbing her face.

"You can tell me anything, you know that," Ginny reassured, placing the newspaper down next to her and holding her chin in her hands as she rest her elbows on her knees. "What's wrong?" she added, her voice becoming slightly worried.

"Malfoy kissed me," she spat out, evading all eye contact with the youngest Weasley. Her stomach began to churn as the room went silent and she began fidgeted in her chair.

"What?" Ginny asked, her tone flat as she watched the head-girls unusual behavior. Hermione sighed again.

"Malfoy kissed me," she repeated a little louder, still not looking up to meet her friend's eyes.'

"When? Where!" the red-haired Gryffindor questioned almost bouncing on the edge of the bed.

"Last night…in the…uh…oh my Merlin…I can't believe I'm saying this…"

"Yes…?" Ginny pushed.

"In the…room of requirement…" Hermione answered in voice almost as low as a whisper. Finally gaining her courage, the head-girl dared to look up. She almost laughed when she saw Ginny positively beaming on the side of the bed, bouncing up and down, her hands clasped on her lap as she smiled and fell back. "You're acting as if it happened to you…" Hermione said, almost disgusted. Why in the world did every girl go so…insane over him like this? He was a complete git!

"Hermione…Draco Malfoy! Wow…this is great…Hermione! How was it!" she asked, about ready to bounce off the roof. Hermione laughed and stood up, pacing the room.

"I cannot believe I'm having this conversation with you!" she said while throwing her arms in the air.

"Oh come on, Hermione, tell me!" she pleaded, replacing her smile with a 'sad' expression that wanted to make Hermione burst out laughing. Leave it up to Ginny Weasley to make Hermione feel better after _anything_.

"It was…nice…?" Ginny paused.

"Nice? That's it?" she asked, clearly not liking the answer. She then shook her head as if to say, 'oh no, that will not do.'

"Well…I didn't really respond…but…it was…weird…it was…I don't know…" Hermione stammered, knowing full well that it was amazing, but didn't really like the idea of telling anyone that she enjoyed the kiss from the boy she was supposed to hate…the Slytherin.

"Well, what happened?" Ginny asked, her smile falling as she watched Hermione deep in thought.

"We were patrolling the halls and…someone, not a student, was coming so he suddenly pulled me back into the room and we hid there until the person…or whatever it was…passed…and then…we stood there for so long…like complete idiots…then…you know…he did it…" Hermione sputtered out in one breath. Ginny laughed, shaking her head as she ran a hand through her red hair. "It was weird! It was almost like he was in a daze before he did it! I kept calling him and he just…wouldn't respond…then I find him kissing me!" she added, sending Ginny into another fit of laughter. "Well, I'm glad to see you care so much!"

"It's not that, Hermione," Ginny replied, waving her hand as she giggled lightly, causing Hermione to sigh.

"…You know what…can we just go to breakfast…I'm awfully hungry." Ginny nodded and smiled kindly to Hermione, who was standing there, looking quite disheveled. It was then that Ginny finally realized just how much this was bothering Hermione. Honestly, the girl had never had to deal with boys, except for the fact that she's always been great at ordering them around, especially the ones' that were out of line. So out of friendship and caring, Ginny left it at that and followed her friend down to the Great hall.

They both entered the Hall and made their way over to the Gryffindor table, sitting down beside their friends. Hermione smiled a greeting to Ron and Harry, but was silent the rest of the breakfast, her eyes unconsciously wandering over to the Slytherin table.

He wasn't there.

Nor the ten seconds later when Hermione decided to check again.

And neither ten seconds after that.

Or five seconds after that.

* * *

**I hope you all liked this chapter! Don't worry, just because they kissed…or Draco kissed, doesn't mean that I'm going to start taking it really fast from here. I still really want to make it seem real. That was just, you know, impulse. Heh-heh.**

**Review please!**


	11. Birth

**I am sorry for taking so long on this. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter nor anything else related to it, except for this god-forsaken plot. **

* * *

Her eyes slowly trailed the path of the feathery quill twiddling between her slender, pale fingers. Her eyelids were heavy, hanging open just enough that it would actually seem as though she were awake, yet within only seconds of falling into a deep slumber to which she probably would never awaken from. Her chest rose and fell silently as a prolonged sigh escaped from her lips. Her hair fell about the sides of her face as she sat there, slouched down in the chair, with her rolled fist holding up her head as she rested her elbow on the wooden desk.

She wearily peered over the edge of the table and watched the fire, it's hypnotic dance pulling her mind in and reflecting through her eyes. Thoughts were racing rapidly thorough her mind as she sat there, encompassed in the warmth of the small and comfortable room. Again and again her mind would tell her to forget, to move on, to even pretend _it_ never happened, but none of these things were remotely possible. It wouldn't be a mere minute before _he_ stealthily crept his way into her mind once again, almost sending her over the cliff's edge of normalcy and then straight down the thrashing river of utter insanity.

It was annoying, _completely_ annoying, to put it plain.

In all her desperate attempts to escape her own pestering and nagging self, did she only come out to fail. So it was as useless as the quill with no ink. All she could do now was surrender to the voices in her mind, telling her to just take another stab at it, take _one_ more try, gather up what confidence she had and confront him.

_Him_.

The one who caused all this _absurdity_.

How she hated ever fiber in his wretched being. It was his entire fault. Of course it was. Seriously, everything that she relied on, depended on, came second. Now…it was him! How could he do this to her? How could he rip her from her life, which was going so perfectly at the time, and keep her sheltered, captured, locked in this crazy maze of emotional madness!

That was it. She _had_ to get home, away from all this. She had to escape this mental torture, if that's what it could even be called. She had to forget the fear, the confusion, the _past_.

A single knock sounded at the door, causing her to jump slightly in her seat and throw her fatigued gaze towards its origin. Fuck. She lazily pulled herself out of her seat and walked across the common room and then out of the portrait hole to be greeted with a hug. Not just any hug, but one that if it persisted for more than a few seconds, would leave her breathless and choked to death. You know what, let's just say it was _quite_ the friendly hug.

"Hermione! How are you? I haven't talked to you in…" Harry paused, taking a look around as he thought deeply. "Well, it has been quite a while, Hermione," he added, embarrassed, as he pulled back and observed the look of amusement he saw flitting across his Hermione's face.

"Hello," Hermione said through a quiet laugh as she pushed a few curls of hair behind her ear. "It has only been a few days, though I suppose that that's not completely normal," she said jokingly as Harry grinned at her. "What do you want, Harry?" she asked, letting out a mock sigh of annoyance.

"Nothing," he shot out quickly, taking a step back. Hermione cocked an eyebrow.

"Excuse me? You just gave me that death-like hug," she reminded, pulling off a few fake shudders and disgusted facial expressions, "and you grin at me like…_that_…don't tell me you aren't here for _something_," she stated, crossing her arms on her chest as Harry watched her uncertainly.

"What?" he murmured, averting his eyes.

"Harry! Just tell me already," she pushed, a smile appearing about her lips.

"Well, the Yule ball-,"

"Yes, it's tonight."

"Yes, well-,"

"Move on, Harry."

"Will you let me speak?" he asked hotly, shifting on his feet. Hermione smirked and put her palms up in feigned self-defense, muttering a short "fine…alright". Harry sighed and continued. "I'm going with Ginny and-,"

"Oh! You are? I didn't kn-," she halted, receiving another glare from the boy across from her.

"Yes," he said sternly. "I am," he added. "And I need…I need…" he muttered, plunging his hands into his pockets as he sighed and let his eyes fall shut.

"You need…?"

"Your help. I need your help."

Hermione raised an eyebrow and shifted on her feet. "What with?"

"I'm getting there!" he spat, obviously completely wrapped in his nerves. He let out another sigh as he opened his eyes and let his eyes rest on one of his best friends. She stood there, her expression full of curiosity as he tried to get the damn question from his throat, which he cleared lightly as he took a small step closer. He pulled two roses out of his robes and held them before her face. "The red one…or the white one? I don't know which Ginny would like more…"

The head girl then, to the dismay of the Harry, burst into a fit of giggles.

**------**

Draco sighed lightly as he smirked at his reflection in the mirror of the heads bathroom. He fluidly ran his fingers through his hair, his lips pulling even wider across his face as each strand of silky hair fell back to perfection. _She can not possibly ignore this utterly beautiful image if she tried to. The girl has no point in trying_, he thought, setting down the comb and moving to tighten his Slytherin tie, which had been incorporated into his dress robes for the night. To be completely truthful, the head boy was absolutely right in his thoughts. A girl would have to be blind (or a little on the homoerotic side) to deny him in anyway possible. The thought of a member of the female species rejecting Draco Malfoy was just plain ludicrous! It was just not a factual event!

After one more swish of his hair and an admiring look at himself in the mirror, he quickly made his way down to the great hall, as not to be late for such a completely important occasion. This was the night. The night where he was going to get her, Hermione Granger, in all her bushy-haired goodness.

Truly, Draco did not even posses the answer or a mere guess as to just how the woman avoided him the past week since their encounter, an encounter he must say, he enjoyed very highly. It was virtually impossible to him that the past week had gone the way it did, since it, well, he had really never been avoided before, but actually sought after by the whole of the female population. Normally, and in Draco's favored memories, it was just one small kiss and any woman would be falling to his feet, hailing him right then and there like he was some sort of high king…or something of the sort.

Just another piece of evidence that Granger was different and exactly why her mere presence made Draco want to take her right then and there, not caring who's watching.

The doors opened gracefully and he sauntered in, receiving winks from females all over the great hall. He smirked and winked to the crowd, sitting himself down in his seat at the heads table. He shifted slightly in his seat and let his eyes crawl to the side.

There she was _and as beautiful_ as ever, he thought to himself.

Hermione sat there, her body poised and her chin held high. Her hair was in an elegant bun and her crimson dress robes were…well, those were particularly boring, but what would you expect? We're talking about Granger, here. She's not exactly Miss Prissy and everyone knows that is a fact that one can always trust. Nevertheless, Draco sat there, his eyes adjusted on her form as they students danced in a rather hyper and quite humorous motion around the room.

Not wasting another moment, Draco cleared his throat in an extremely loud and annoying way. His eyes shifted towards Hermione, only to find her looking the other way. So he cleared his throat once more, in an even more pronounced way than before. Yet, to no avail, she hadn't seemed to notice. So, once again, Draco cleared his throat, causing not only Hermione to flicker her eyes towards him, but also for most of the other population of the Great Hall to turn and give him a questioning look.

_I'm not bloody crazy, mind your own business!_ Draco thought as he glared at the eyes watching him from around the room. He smirked defiantly when the bystanders went on their way.

"So…Granger, how has the ball been treating you?" he asked, seemingly disinterested. She turned slightly and watched him in the corner of her eye. It was quite creepy to say the least, yet still an action that made him want to pull her to his body immediately.

"Fine, Malfoy," she answered shortly. Wait…did he detect some…nervousness in that tone? Draco smirked pompously. Yes, he sure did.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked, raising an eyebrow up and down at her suggestively.

Hermione sighed and turned her face partly towards him, both eyes on him now. She looked at him with a blank expression and asked, "Is your eyebrow having a _spasm_, Malfoy?" she asked pointedly, mocking evident in her tone.

Draco gasped and looked at her, aghast. How dare she speak to _him_ like _that_? Did she know _whom_ she was conversing with? Was she _delusional_? Did she go bloody _insane_ from avoiding him so? (Because everyone knows such a thing will cause lasting damage to the emotional and mental health of a female.)

He soon picked his jaw up from the floor and wiped the saliva away from his chin. "Maybe it's from being so close to you," he added in a flirtatious way. Good Merlin, if only he knew how cheesy he was.

Hermione only raised her eyebrows and looked away. Draco sighed, annoyed, and scooted his chair closer to hers, only for Hermione to pull hers away even father than it had been before.

"Oh, come on. You're going to have to dance with me _sometime_, Granger," he drawled, pushing his seat so close to hers so that the side of it bumped into her own seat.

She turned quickly and lay both her eyes on him, fire blazing in their depths. "Yes, though I would rather it be,-" she started, but jumped up immediately when Dumbledore had stopped to stand before them. "Good evening, professor," she greeted, shaking the headmaster's hand kindly as he smiled back at her.

"Good evening, Miss Granger," he replied, nodding at Draco afterwards and saying, "Mister Malfoy," in a kind, yet firm greeting. Draco grinned in reply and stood up, shaking Dumbledore's hand heartily. "I will be introducing you two in a short moment, then you may have your dance," he stated kindly, his eyes twinkling at the two of them, making Draco feel _very_ uncomfortable. There was a plot, an evil, _evil_, plot. Draco knew it and quite frankly, it gave him the shivers, creeping him out even further than he had already been. I mean, come on. Wanting to snog your enemy senseless _is_ a bit creepy. _Who_ would do that? No one in their right mind, at least.

Once Dumbledore had left towards where he was about to present them, Draco threw his arm around Hermione's shoulder and leant down on her slightly. "Well," he said, letting out a long sigh, "it looks like you won't have to wait any longer, Granger. No doubt, your knickers are already soaked from just the mere thought of being so close in proximity to me."

Hermione inhaled sharply and turned to him, hitting him hard on the shoulder, just before their names were called. The crowd of students turned and watched them as they both stood there for a few seconds, a little caught off guard. Hermione cracked a slight smile and grabbed Draco's hand harshly, pulling him out to the center of the Great Hall as all the other kids moved to stand around the edge. She stopped in the middle of the floor, glaring at him through thick eyelashes, whispering, "bastard."

The music started and Draco immediately grasped the opportunity to interlock his fingers of one hand with hers and snake his other hand around to the small of her waist. He held her close, pulling her body closer as the music went on, ignoring the looks of repulsion he received from her every time he tightened his hold. He inhaled her scent and almost sighed out loud, refraining from the almost intolerable urge to let his eyes slip shut as he danced. The feeling of her soft skin rubbing against his was almost enough to make him go insane and he soon found himself wishing for more.

She stumbled lightly and Draco pulled her back up, making the move seem almost intentional. He grinned and ducked his face down next to hers, whispering her in ear. "Not much experience with ballroom dancing, I see?" he whispered huskily, the words flowing out of his mouth and brushing across her cheek in steamy puffs of air.

Hermione's stomach fluttered and she found herself pushing her face in closer to him, but stopped when she noticed what crazy act she was about to commit to. Trying to cover up her momentary weakness, she rolled her eyes and averted them, watching the kids spinning around as they danced.

The music soon ended and the head boy and girl smiled to the watching students as they walked back to the table, Hermione snatching her hand from Draco's tight grasp as soon as humanly possible. Each of them took their seats at the heads table and watched as the Great Hall began to go back to the way it had been before.

And so the ball went on, Hermione trying to ignore the devilishly handsome boy next to her and Draco trying to get her attention any way possible. The girl was damn inpeturbable! It was almost as if Draco weren't even there! This was most unbecoming of her and not to forget, entirely rude to ignore _him_ of all people. And finally when Draco had seemed to get her damned attention, she stood up and walked past him, towards the common room.

The Yule ball had ended.

Draco shook his head and buried his face in his hands, letting out a groan.

Fuck.

He pulled himself up lazily from the seat and sulked back to his common room. He carelessly tossed his outer robes onto the desk in the corner and kicked off his shoes, falling down onto the couch. Sighing heavily, he draped one of his hands over his eyes as he lay there, wondering why on earth he was having such a hard time to get to her again.

There was no point in not realizing that his situation was hopeless.

And hopeless situations always call for desperate measures.

**------**

"Yes, and I-,"

"You understand, Mister Malfoy, that you are asking to be exempted from the rules for a night?" Dumbledore questioned slowly, tapping a finger upon the desk lightly. Draco groaned mentally and nodded hastily.

"Yes, headmaster, but this is for the sake of education." Dumbledore exhaled a breath and narrowed his eyes, watching the blond haired Slytherin through his spectacles. He seemed to be balancing the thoughts in his mind, coming up with what would be best for the head girl, since this involved her in a great deal. "I ask only a simple request, sir. Hermione and I work well together. We have put aside our differences. I believe that this would be a perfectly significant learning experience."

Dumbledore sighed.

Draco held his breath.

"Alright," he muttered, throwing his hands up as if surrendering. "You and Miss Granger may indeed take on your proposal and work out the details."

The head boy grinned and stood from his seat, grasping the hand of the headmaster and shaking it thankfully. "Thank you, professor, you won't regret this."

"I would hope not, Mister Malfoy," Dumbledore replied, his eyes shining with hope as he broke out in a gentle smile.

"No, sir." And with that, Draco nodded and left meeting room. He sautered down the corridor towards the heads common room, his mind almost shaking with delight and excite to tell Hermione the new news.

A smirk crept across his lips. This was perfect. Absolutely, fucking, perfect.

* * *

**Review please! Sorry it had taken me so long to update. I feel like a complete bastard (and for not only updating so late, but this cliffhanger too). I hope it never happens again. Writers block really sucks. Oh well. Hope you liked it. I plan on writing tomorrow. Now I must sleep. **


	12. Frightened

**HI! I can't believe I'm writing again so soon. Yesterday before I wrote chapter 11, I just had this major brainstorm after having damn writers block for almost two months. So yeah…I even think I know how I want to end it (even though I'm not close to done). **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Draco, Hermione, or anything else related to Harry Potter. This specific story line is only the crazy thoughts in my mind, put into story form.**

* * *

Hermione set her bag down next to her seat as she began the essay she had been assigned in potions. But, instead of getting anything written down on the parchment, she was thrown off of focus when the portrait flew open and Draco came walking through, his eyes resting on her. He had the tiniest of grins pulling at his lips as he made his way towards her and sat down in the empty chair across from her. He folded his hands on the table and grinned wider.

"What?" she asked quickly, getting a little fidgety with him grinning at her that way.

"I just spoke to Dumbledore," he stated, his arrogant tone flowing in his words.

"And…?"

"And, he wants us to take on one of his proposals."

"And that would be?" she asked, not liking where this conversation was going.

Draco sighed in mock annoyance and continued. "It seems as though," he started, "that there is a certain potion that can be made for extra credit." Hermione's eyes widened as Draco patted himself on the back mentally. Merlin, he knew he would get her attention with this. "No student has made it before. It will take an entire night of watching it over in the potions room. Dumbledore wants _us_ to make it," he paused for a second or two, "_and_ test it."

Hermione's eyes widened as she stared at him in disbelief. How could Dumbledore want her to spend an _entire _night alone in a potions room with him! _How _could Dumbledore do this to her! And what in Merlin was this potion going to do to them if they were to _test _it! "B-but…" she stuttered, "there…there is NO way that I am going to spend an-an _entire_ night in the potions room with the likes of _you_!"

Draco shook his head. "This was Dumbledore's decision. I can't change anything."

"But, but I cannot!"

"But," Draco whispered, pushing his face towards hers, "Dumbledore _ordered_ it."

Hermione groaned and fell back in her seat. "Dumbledore wouldn't do this to me…" she whispered.

"Well, apparently…he _would_," the sniveling Slytherin stated, his grin growing by the second as he watched the head girl, obviously in denial.

After a few more moments of thinking, Hermione raised her eyes to his, damning herself when the butterflies began flopping around in her stomach again. "What…what will be the…effect of this potion if we are to test-test it?" she asked, praying to the almighty that it wouldn't be something utterly horrible and disturbing.

Draco smiled, a smug expression filtering onto his face. "The potion will make us invisible."

Hermione scoffed. "What is the point of that!" she asked.

"The point of it," Draco began, "is to find out first hand if students act differently when the head students aren't around. Therefore we still must attend our classes."

Hermione groaned and shook her head, burying her face in her hands. "Just…just how long will the effects of the potion…last?" she questioned, not daring to look up at him.

Draco sighed, saying, "oh, not too long, I should hope."

The head girl raised her face, setting her sights on the blond haired boy across from her. He was sitting there with the most pompous smile on his face as she watched him with weary eyes. Tapping her index finger lightly on the table (which was currently making Draco insane with the urge to throw her down on the table right there) she sighed lightly and held her head up with her rolled fist.

"When do we start?"

**----**

"I can't believe I'm doing this," Hermione stated flatly as she threw in another ingredient to the potion that night. "I can't believe Dumbledore is making us do this. I can't believe that I'm in here with you, making this bloody potion. I can't believe-,"

"How lucky your circumstances are?" Draco finished for her, a smirk playing across his lips.

Hermione endured the urge to strangle him then and there.

"No," she replied angrily, glaring at him through the hair that hung down before her eyes as she stood, hovering over the potion while she stirred it. "More like, how _unlucky_ my circumstances are."

Draco pulled back, his face showing mock hurt as she began muttering a very colorful array of words to herself. "You know, I don't see why you must be so _negative_ on the matter," he said smoothly. "In fact, this could turn out to be _quite_ the night of bonding on our parts." Hermione glared at him once again and pushed him back away from her, as he had been stealthily creeping towards her every second.

"Stay away from me, you bastard," she whispered hotly.

"You need not whisper," Draco said chuckling, "I put a sound proof spell on the outer walls of the room so as to not awaken anyone." A loud groan escaped Hermione's throat and echoed through the large room, bouncing off the stone walls and floor. "See? No one heard that, except for…_you_ and _I_," he added, placing a finger tip on the center of her chest, then on the center of his own as he watched her through amused eyes. She had seemed to inhale lightly when he touched her and the mere thought almost made him laugh out loud. This was almost too good to be true! Surely, this would be the night.

Hermione averted her eyes as she stirred the potion the last few times and sighed, sitting down in a chair at the table. The greenish potion was bubbling with heat, as the two sat there in the particularly cool room. The light from the stars was filtering in through the windows located near the roof of the room. The only other source of light was that from their two wands, put together at the side of the table, creating a soft white glow around the table and into the corners of the room.

"When is the next time we stir?" the head girl asked quietly, staring down into the potion. Draco scoffed and replied rudely, wondering why in Merlin she thought he would know. She rolled her eyes and sighed heavily, lying her head down on her arms, which she had folded on the table. Draco noticed this and tapped her on the head in an annoying manner.

"Don't fall asleep now," he said lightly, watching her pull her head up slightly to look at him.

"I thought we could take…shifts or something…" she replied lazily, letting her head fall back down onto her arms.

"No, because then we _both _might fall asleep and the potion will be ruined if we do not tend to it."

"Well then," she replied, standing up, "I'm going to pass some time," and with that, she walked slowly over to the cabinets and opened them. She quickly looked through them and pulled out a book, heaving it to her chest and holding it tightly. After making her way over to a desk, which was lit up by the stars shining through the windows, she placed the book down on the table with a thump. She sat down in the chair and turned the cover over and…began to read.

Draco sighed. He soon lifted himself from the seat and walked towards her, stopping himself so that he was standing behind her. "Reading _again_, Granger? Is that _all_ you do for fun?" he drawled, placing his hands on the desk so that one hand was on either side of her and his head hovered over one of her shoulders. She froze immediately and dared not to turn and look at him, even if she was going to glower at him as if he were the plague. No, looking at him while he was in this position over her would be extremely dangerous.

Then against all Hermione's wishes, he bent down further and put his lips dangerously close to her ear. "Well," he whispered, sending shivers up and down her back. "I believe that I could possibly come up with something better to pass the time." Hermione gulped quietly and let her eyes slip shut as she asked Merlin to help her in her situation. What kind of female wouldn't be shaking in their seat as Draco Malfoy spoke to them in that husky way. It was almost unbearable!

Hermione gulped once again and licked her lips after opening her eyes. "I highly doubt that, Malfoy," she replied shakily. Draco smirked as his hand crept towards her side.

"Oh, I think you're quite mistaken," he replied, making butterflies begin their mad dance in the pit of her stomach once again. Then without warning, he shut the book with a flick of his wrist and heaved himself up on the table. He sat there, staring down at Hermione as her vision seemed glued to the table. She finally stood up and began walking towards the potion, muttering to him about how he had seemed to have lost his senses.

Draco's eyes widened and he quickly hopped off of the desk and ran over to her. He stopped himself before her, blocking her way towards the potion and their wands. She seemed to have begun to hold her breath from the look that was plastered across her face. Draco could almost describe it as shock, but decided that that was a little too exaggerated.

Taking a few steps back, her glance traveled around the room, wishing that she wasn't stuck in this position. Draco grinned when her back finally hit the wall, right under where the windows were. He placed one hand on either side of her head and leant forward, watching her eyes widen in the shadows. Finally, he had her in his grasp.

"This seems awfully familiar, does it not?" he asked huskily, remembering that day in the woods on their way back to the castle and how close he had come to her. Hermione's eyes widened further as she watched his face come nearer every second.

"I don't know what-what you're talking about…" she muttered, holding her breath again.

"Shall I remind you?" he asked suggestively, receiving what was probably supposed to be a glare, but only came out as a weak narrowing of the eyes. He chuckled, dropping his head to look at the floor, his silky hair rustling with each swift movement. Hermione could not help but inhale his scent as he looked away. The effect of this almost made her stumble.

Merlin, these two were in deep.

"Malfoy, could you p-please move?" she asked, her voice coming out in a shallow whisper. Draco paused and lifted his eyes to meet hers. He felt himself soften when he saw her standing there, her eyes as wide as saucers, watching him, recording his every slight movement. Yet, there was just that voice in the back of his mind, urging him to go further, to take advantage of this perfectly opportune moment. "Malfoy? Please? I just want to get make this potion and get it over with. There is absolutely no reason why things should be like this. Can't you be civil with me for once? This really is ridiculous and-…"

That was it. She was rambling and there was only one way to stop her. Draco let his eyes slip shut as he stepped closer and pressed his soft lips to hers. Both held their breath as their lips touched, wondering what the hell they were supposed to do next. Hermione, for one, had never been kissed like this and Draco had never felt like _this_ when he had kissed. Something had exploded inside of him, a hot, fluid-like fire that began seeping through his body at maximum speed. He almost swayed at the feeling, but held himself up by tightening his grip on the stone wall behind her.

Hermione remained there, unmoving, waiting for him to pull away. She was shaking slightly, her eyes half shut as the ecstasy crept through her body and into her limbs. She, too, had become slightly unaware of her balance and almost toppled over, but did not because of the firm voice in her mind, daring her not too. This was almost too much. His lips were so soft, so warm and comfortable, set right over hers and interlocking with them. But it ended as quickly as it had started when he exhaled through his nose and pulled away, leaving her lips cold and dry.

His head stopped only inches from hers, his eyes burning into her own as she watched him. Draco only stood there, his hands still placed on either side of her head as she parted her lips slightly. "I…I think it is time to stir the-the potion," she whispered, "we must not forget-…"

Taking advantage of the moment, Draco leaned in again, pressing his lips to hers and slipping his tongue inside her mouth, allowing it to explore. He sighed heavily when he felt the heat of her mouth invade his own and turned his face to an angle. One of his hands slowly fell from the wall and he placed it lightly on her neck, letting his fingers twiddle her curls playfully. He soon let his other hand travel to her shoulder, where he let it lay dormant. His body stepped closer without him noticing and soon Hermione found herself stuck between the wall and his body, barely enough room to breath.

She remained unresponsive for a few seconds until he let his tongue come into contact with her own, almost sending her into a fit. Her hands clapped onto the wall on either side of her and she felt her fingertips trying to dig themselves into the stone. To no avail, she remained on the same side of the wall, locked there with no where to go. That was it. She wasn't going to be treated like some object to be played with. Not knowing what else to do, she quickly lifted up her hands and pushed him back, breaking their contact.

She glared hard at him before stepping around him and walking back to the table. She grabbed hold of her wand and sat before the cauldron. "I told you to stay away from me."

Draco groaned and let his head fall back. He rubbed his face with his hands and turned around walking to the table. His body dropped down into the seat with a quiet thump, causing Hermione to jump slightly.

The rest of the night and into the morning was spent in complete silence. Hermione had stirred the potion when needed, while Draco sat there, trying to come up with the slightest reason as to why she had pushed him away. I mean really, if Draco were a girl, he definitely wouldn't have pushed his boy self away if such a thing would have happened. That was just how it worked. Hermione was ruining the pattern and it was making Draco slightly angry to say the least.

When the sun's rays began to shine into the room that morning, both head boy and head girl had been slouched over in their chairs, Hermione half-asleep, Draco…asleep. Instead, Hermione was brought to her senses rather rudely when a loud "pop" sounded from the cauldron and a few bubbles rose into the air. She lifted her face up and looked over into the potion. It was a dark greenish color and seemed to be quite thin in consistency, with bubbles popping all over the surface of it.

She averted her eyes for her gaze to land on Draco. He had his head resting on his arms, which were folded on the wooden table. Blond strands of his silky hair were hanging down in front of his eyes, almost entirely hiding them from view. She almost felt wrong for having to wake him up when he was sleeping there in such a peaceful state. But nevertheless, he had to be woken. So she carefully reached across the table and tapped him lightly on the shoulder.

Draco stirred slowly and lifted up his face slightly, letting out a large yawn. His weary eyes blinked open a few times behind the threads of hair that were still hanging down into his vision. Hermione couldn't help but smile at the boy before her. He seemed so innocent, so beautiful at the time. He lifted his face to look at her and smiled at her through half open eyes. Not a suggestive smile, a smug smile, nor an arrogant smile, but a true, sincere smile, one that Hermione had never in her days expected to see shine on his countenance.

Hermione felt the breath lodge in her throat.

It was at that moment that the Hermione everyone knew was gone for the rest of time. It was as if she had been washed away and lost for all eternity, never to return again. How could she have been so blind as to not see what had been right in front of her all along? How could she have not recognized him? How could she have ignored this beautiful being, who finally, for the first time, gave her a wonderful gift in the form of a simple smile?

Hermione Granger was scared out of her wits, because now, Draco was in control.

"Good morning, Granger," he said through another yawn, as he swiped the hair from his eyes, an action that Hermione had been dying to complete herself. "Let's try out this potion, now, shall we?"

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**Hmm, I really want to keep writing, but this seems to be the perfect spot to end the chapter. I'll update again very soon. Love you all. Review please :D**


	13. Questions

**Meh. I'm a bastard who can't update my stupid story within reasonable time. I apologize. **

**Disclaimer: The Harry Potter books are not my own. I own nothing. **

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_Hermione Granger was scared out of her wits, because now, Draco was in control._

"_Good morning, Granger," he said through another yawn, as he swiped the hair from his eyes, an action that Hermione had been dying to complete herself. "Let's try out this potion, now, shall we?"_

Hermione froze in her seat. All she could do was just stare at him, her eyes glued to the form of the boy sitting across from her at that very desk. Her mind was reeling, screaming at her to just say something and stop ogling at him like some bloody fool, but she couldn't help it. She was too stunned at her sudden change in heart to even think about herself and what Draco must be thinking at the moment.

Eyebrows rising, Draco's smile faded as he waited for Hermione to answer him. Then after a few more seconds of waiting, he finally reached across the table, waving one of his palms in front of her face as if she were some statue, frozen for all eternity. I mean, yeah, he was undoubtedly attractive and it was simple for one of the female gender to occasionally blank out because of how his stunning beauty just _radiated_, but he still felt a little pang of worry for the girl. "Granger?" he asked, "what is wrong with you?"

Huh? What?

Oh…woops…heehee…

This staring business was really mentally unhealthy for her.

Snapping out of her daze, the head girl blinked a few times, shaking her head. She looked up, embarrassed for obvious reasons and cracked a small glimmer of a smile at him. She quickly pushed a lock of smooth, brown hair behind her ear and glanced down at the cauldron. Gulping quietly, she grasped the wooden spoon and dipped it into the bubbling potion. Carefully, she brought out a spoonful and, looking to Draco, she nervously widened her eyes at him. The corner of his lips curled up slightly as he watched her, waiting patiently for her to drink it.

"H-here it goes," she murmured, shutting her eyes tightly as she heightened the spoon to her lips.

Before she could get it within two inches of her mouth, Hermione felt the spoon being slipped from her grasp. Her eyes flew open to see Draco licking the edge of the spoon in what some would see as a very dirty gesture, sending shivers up and down the center of her back. His eyes slipped open and he smirked, holding the spoon out to her.

"Not bad," he said, shrugging as Hermione slowly took the spoon from his grasp. Dipping the spoon in again, she shut her eyes and, just trying to get the damned process over with, she shoved the spoon in her mouth and pulled it back out. The thin, warm, sour liquid rolled smoothly down her throat despite a few gags after tasting it. Without waiting much longer, she snapped her eyes open to find…no one.

Draco had gone invisible. Damn.

He could be _anywhere_.

Setting down the spoon, she cautiously stood up and looked around. "Malfoy?" she whispered. She glanced around her back and shivered on reflex. "Malfoy, where are you?" she asked, only to jump off the floor when Draco spoke out from right beside her.

"Why are you whispering?" he asked, chuckling lightly. Hermione narrowed her eyes, daring herself not to grin and let him see her true emotions, but before anything else could happen, she felt a wave of cold air wash over her entire body. A yelp escaped her throat from the sudden change as she fell back in her seat, holding her arms and rubbing them vigorously.

"Don't worry. The feeling will go away soon." Hermione looked up to find Draco standing across the table from her once again. He was holding the spoon in one hand and a vile in the other, filing the vile with the rest of the unused potion.

The head girl shivered again and stood up shakily. She eyed her surroundings, searching the room for any type of mirror she could think of, but found none. Sighing lightly, she turned back to Draco and stuffed her hands in her robes as he finished emptying the cauldron. "So…" she murmured, "do you suppose we can be heard?" she asked.

For a second, the head boy stood there, thinking. Then after shrugging, he looked to Hermione and grinned. This _really_ was going to be quite amusing. "I think we'll have to figure that one out on our own," he stated, placing the cauldron back on the storage shelf. "How about we get out of here?" he asked, sounding like one of those suggestive men you see on soap operas during early afternoon when you're bored out of your mind.

"Yeah," Hermione responded, pulling her cloak over her shoulders and placing her wand in the cloak's deep pocket. Draco did the same and proceeded towards the door, pulling it open. He stood at the doorway, smiling smugly as he held the door opened, waiting for her to meekly sneak by with a blushing face. And to his own happiness, she did exactly that. Her eyes avoided his as if Draco was able to see her thoughts if the two had had eye contact. Draco grinned and let the door slip shut silently behind him as he strode up to her side in the corridor.

"So, where are we headed?" he asked, taking a sidelong glance at Hermione, who was fumbling with the wand in her pocket.

"Well…for one, I need to clean-"

"But, the spell, Granger. We don't want it to wear off before we've finished the experiment," Draco explained, grasping the side of her arm as to get her to stop. Hermione only stared at his hand on her arm until he let it drop to his own side. She then drew in a breath and folded her arms on her chest, a plan formulating in her mind.

"How about…you go ask Dumbledore while I'm taking a shower." Draco sighed and shook his head, letting his head fall back.

"Do you know how I'm going to get a hold of Dumbledore?" he asked, exasperatedly. "We're invisible, remember?"

"Write him a note or something," she said, brushing off the matter and turning back on her heal before she walked further down the corridor. Draco sighed once again and threw his arms in the air after she turned the corner and was out of sight. Muttering obscenities to himself quietly, he shook his head and began his mission towards Dumbledores office.

If only Draco had known before how challenging being invisible was, maybe he wouldn't have come up with the utterly brilliant idea. He constantly found himself being pushed around in the halls. A few times, kids even walked through him! It was completely ridiculous, even if he were invisible, it was definitely no excuse for those little imbeciles to push him around this way. He was Draco Malfoy for Merlin's sake! Children such as these were supposed to look up to him, place him on a pedestal, and hail him at any time necessary! At times, Draco even found himself cursing loudly at the tens of kids that ran through him. From that, he received many odd looks in his direction.

It was probably safe to say that he _could_ be heard.

Well that ruined _all_ the possibility of fun.

When he finally reached Dumbledore's office, he found himself to be in a state of high disapproval when he remembered that the door was locked and that no one but professors and staff could enter. He scoffed at the door and narrowed his eyes, folding his arms on his chest in displeasure. Finally he leant up against the wall, waiting for someone walk by and become his victim. He had to amuse himself _somehow_ as he waited.

Oddly the tune from some muggle show began to play in his head. Was it…_Jeopardy_?

Only few minutes later, a third year Hufflepuff came walking ever so quaintly down the long corridor. Draco grinned and stuffed his hands in his pockets. The little boy came further towards him as Draco waited there. Once the boy was before him, Draco began to casually whistle a random tune. The corner of his lip curled when the little boy froze in his steps. Eyes widened and breathing slowed while the heart beat faster. For a second, the blond haired Slytherin paused, his lips tugging into an even wider smile. This seemed to comfort the child, for he suddenly turned and began walking.

Oh no. Draco wasn't finished with him yet.

Whistling again, Draco tiptoed stealthily up behind the little boy. Without another thought, the Hufflepuff bolted down the corridor and around the nearest corner. Draco grinned in satisfaction and strode back to the wall besides the door to Dumbledores office.

After twenty more minutes of waiting and polishing of his shoes, Snape drifted up the corridor and stopped at the entrance to the headmaster's office. He turned his face slightly as if he could sense Draco's presence next to him. Draco held his breath and sighed lightly when Snape cocked an eyebrow and said the password, causing the door to slip open, allowing the two Slytherins in.

Up the curving stairs, Draco quietly followed Snape. They finally reached the doorway to Dumbledores office and entered after knocking and receiving an approval to go in. Being as sly as possible, the head boy crept in behind the potions master and stepped back into the corner of the room.

"Professor Snape, thank you for coming on request," Dumbledore said kindly. He waved his wrinkled hand albeit gracefully, offering Snape a seat.

Draco sniggered. This bloke needed to get a grave.

"My thanks, headmaster," the greasy-haired potions master responded as he sat down. Dumbledore nodded and smiled lightly, tipping his head forward to look at Snape over his half moon spectacles. "What do you wish to tell me, sir?" Snape asked. Dumbledore drew in a ragged breath and set his palms together before his face.

"I would like you to inform the other heads of house that Mister Malfoy and Miss Granger are currently testing an experiment." Snape cocked an eyebrow, setting back into the soft leather chair. "They will be attending classes, but will be in the state of invisibility. I will make sure they check in with their teacher at the end of each class to ensure they were there."

Snape narrowed his eyes and sat forward in his seat. "But, sir, they-"

"I trust them…professor Snape," Dumbledore assured, staring at Snape with a slight smile on his face. The potions professor then stood and smoothed his robes uncomfortably.

"Is that all you wanted, sir?" he questioned.

"That is all, professor."

Draco smirked, watching Snape walk out of the room awkwardly.

"Mister Malfoy, can I help you?" The head boy then jumped slightly, his gaze flying towards Dumbledore. He was sitting at his desk, looking out into the empty space of the room. Draco's eyebrows rose as he plopped down into the plush leather chair before Dumbledore's desk.

"Headmaster, how did you know I was here?" Draco asked, leaning the side of his face on his balled fist, after resting his elbow on the armrest. Dumbledore sighed, a glimmering smile upon his ancient face. He lifted his withered wrist and motioned towards the spot where Draco had once been standing.

"I saw that candle fall…then I saw it float up, as if being picked up and placed right where it belonged."

Draco smirked and shook his head, letting out a chuckle. "You saw that? I thought I was being discrete," he laughed.

Dumbledore chuckled and sighed contentedly. "I see many things, Mister Malfoy," he replied, his eyes falling upon the invisible form of Draco. His eye sparkled in the light as he smiled and sat back in his chair. "So! Can I help you in any way, Mister Malfoy?"

Starting again, Draco sat up in the chair and twiddled his thumbs slowly. "Sir, do you know how long the effects of this invisibility potion will last?"

"Ah, yes," he said, raising one finger in the air. "Until you," he pointed at Draco, "and Hermione deem necessary. I trust you two will make the right decision, Mister Malfoy."

Smirking, Draco hopped up from the chair and stood before Dumbledore's desk. "Thank you, sir. You can trust us. I will not cause you to regret it." Dumbledore nodded and smiled at the thin air before him, before going back along with his work.

"Oh, and Mister Malfoy?" Dumbledore asked, raising his right hand. Draco stopped and turned back towards him.

"Yes, sir?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Don't make me change the password," he said with a straight face.

"Oh, I won't headmaster. You can be sure of that." And with a cheeky grin, Draco turned on his heal and walked out the door.

The corridors echoed softly as Draco's heels clicked all the way towards his common room. The air was crisp and cool that day, causing a slight drift to blow through the air. Draco sighed watching the sun shine brightly through the glass as he walked past the large windows. His gaze then fell back on his path, his mind reverting back to that morning when he had awoken. He had been tapped softly on the shoulder. Slowly he looked up after rubbing his eyes. And there before him, Hermoine sat, eyes wide and curls framing her soft face. She had looked so beautiful…like an angel. And because of that, he smiled. Draco Malfoy smiled, his breath caught in his throat as his muscles tightened around his heart.

_Hahahaha! Come get me, little sister! _

Draco spun around.

_I'll get you, Charlie! _

Draco spun the other way, eyeing the corridors with keen eyes.

_Prove it, Casey!_

What in Merlin's name?

Twisting his neck the other way, Draco caught a short sight of a little boy running around a corner, a little girl, maybe a few years older, chasing after him. He quickly ran down the hall towards where he had seen the children run. He stopped and searched the corridor, narrowing his eyes and blinking repeatedly to try and get a sight of the children.

"Is anyone there?" Draco called, spinning around over and over again, watching for any sign of the children.

Silence. Complete silence.

Shaking his head, the head boy turned around and walked awkwardly back towards the common room.

When he finally reached the common room, he strode in, finding Hermione sitting on the couch before the fire. Her hair was wet and up in a bun, small curls hanging down from random spots. She turned and smiled, the firelight gleaming on her smooth skin. Draco cracked a smile and walked over, sitting down on the couch next to her. His eyebrows were knitted and he leant forward, placing his elbows on his knees and resting his chin on his clasped hands. He was thinking intently while watching the fire.

Hermine shivered. Just having him so close had such a powerful effect on her.

"Malfoy…is there something wrong?" Hermione asked, watching him with slight worry.

Draco shook his head and sighed softly. "It's just…" he turned to face Hermione. "I was walking down the corridor and…and I heard the giggles of two children. It sounded like a young girl and boy."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow. "And…?"

"And…I turned around and I saw them run around the corner."

"Well, what'd you do?"

"I ran after them, of _course_," Draco stated pompously. He grinned seeing Hermione's raised eyebrows.

"What would the world do _without _you, Malfoy?" Hermione asked in a dramatic tone, followed by a few giggles and a roll of her eyes. Draco grinned wider.

"You'd perish, most likely," he chuckled and then continued with the story. "But…they weren't there…I don't know who they were or…why they were here. They were just two children running in the corridor and then they were…gone."

Then as if being slapped over the side of a head with the memory stick, Hermione remembered.

The day before she was transported here with Draco.

Zonkos.

Fred and George Weasley.

The Daily Prophet.

The article.

_The two missing children. _

Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped, her hand clasping over her mouth.

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**Review please! **


	14. Answers

**Thanks for all the great reviews. I'm honestly going to try and finish this up real soon. I'm so bored with this story.**

**Disclaimer: I only own a copy of each Harry Potter book. I am definitely not J. K. Rowling. **

**Also, I was very confused on what I was going to do with this story since the release of HBP. I think I'll just keep going with this story and not change anything to conform to what is now going on in the HP series. Okay? Sound good? Great. ****

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**Hermione flipped through the dusty, crispy pages of the book she had cradled in her arms. Her finger ran the length of each line as she read, her eyes moving just as quickly. She sighed lightly, pushing the book back onto the shelf and pulling another one out, shuffling through its ancient pages. Her eyes narrowed for a moment as she came upon something interesting. Biting her lower lip softly, she jumped up from her kneeling position and scurried down the aisle. Her head popped out from behind the shelf as she peered down the hall. Seeing that it was quiet, she walked down the hall, looking down each aisle of the restricted section.

And there he was, kneeling down, his head hovering over an open book, which was lying on the floor. Hermione smiled lightly, her eyes admiring his short blond locks hanging down over the pages. She quietly padded her way down the aisle, pushing a lock of curls behind her ear.

"I think I've found something," she said quietly, trying not to risk them being heard in the dead of night.

Draco looked up, pushing his blond hair out of his light blue eyes. He waited for her to say something, but she only motioned for him to follow her. Pushing himself up from his knees, he replaced the book he was reading from and followed her quietly down the hall. Hermione quietly placed the book on a desk, sitting down into a cushioned chair. Draco pulled out the one next to hers, sitting in it as she opened to book up to the page. She pointed to a certain paragraph and sat back in her chair.

"Read that," she said, folding her arms across her chest.

Draco gave her an odd look and leaned forward, angling the book towards himself. He rested his elbows on the armrests of the chair, his hand rubbing his pale chin softly as he read. The light from the tip of Hermione's wand glinted on his fair skin, causing Hermione to sit there, analyzing his face as he read. His brow soon furrowed and his eyes narrowed as he read further on.

Finally leaning back in his chair, Draco let out a soft "huh." Hermione cocked her eyebrow.

"So… What do you think?" she whispered. He let out a soft sigh, letting his hands fall to his side.

"It…makes perfect sense…but…it's too easy," he said, his eyes still on the book.

"What do you mean 'it's too easy'?" she asked, leaning forward in her chair to look Draco in the eyes. He only shook his head and shrugged.

"We've only been looking for an hour, we've barely gone through any of the books, we found it already? It's too easy, that's it," he said. Hermione stared at him, her jaw dropping.

"That's a ridiculous excuse!" he said in a haughty whisper. Draco's gaze shot over to land on her brown eyes. He watched her with interest, the corner of his lips curling up into a smile. "Honestly, it makes perfect sense," she said, pulling the book onto her lap. Draco turned himself so that he faced her as she read the paragraph of text to him, her voice barely above a soft whisper. A light smile rested on his lips when she finished, looking up at him expectantly. "Well…don't you agree?" she asked, her eyebrows raising.

"Explain it to me," he said, his expression never changing. Hermione sighed lightly, resting her hands on the open pages of the book.

"Okay, listen carefully, because I'm not saying this twice," she stated, looking him in the eyes. "Alright, they're like higher levels of port keys, just instead, they take up space and all you have to do…is walk into that given space. To get back to our time is simple! All we have to do is learn this spell and cast it! They," she sighed. "I know you understand this, you're just giving me a hard time," she said, glaring a little at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Draco said innocently. Hermione scoffed.

"I'll take your word for it," she said sarcastically, her eyes narrowing at him. Draco smiled widely, pretending to believe her. "Come on, just think about it. The children walked into the same space that we did. That's why we're back here and that's why we heard them," she said.

"I don't think so," Draco said, letting out a huge sigh. Hermione jumped and clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Ssshh! Do you _want_ to get caught here?" she asked, her eyes wide as she looked around. Her eyes flew back to his. "You're going to get us in huge trouble," she whispered. "Do you really want that to happen?" she asked, only to get a lick on her palm from Draco's tongue. Gasping, she pulled her hand away from him, hastily rubbing her palm on her skirt. "_That_ was disgusting," she said, looking down as she practically rubbed the flesh off her hand. Draco laughed softly.

"We're not going to get caught here, Granger," he said. "Firstly because it's the middle of the night and we're the only one's here, second, we're invisible. No one would even see us," he said, waving his arms around him.

"You never know," she said flatly, still rubbing her palm on her skirt. Draco rolled his eyes. "Well, anyway…you have to agree," she said. "It makes the most perfect sense," she said. "I don't know what else could even come close. If this isn't it, then I give up-,"

"Alright, alright, I get it, Granger," Draco said, sighing lightly. "I agree. It's makes _perfect_ sense," he said, shrugging in his seat. "You, Granger, are right, once again," he added lavishly, his eyes rolling as he looked away, his gaze resting on the table in front of him. Hermione stared at him blankly.

"Really?" she asked softly. Draco looked at her, his eyebrows raised.

"Why? You know you're right," he said, staring at her through blank eyes. Hermione bit her lip and looked down, twiddling her fingers in her lap.

"Yeah, but…you agree with me? You actually _agree_ with me? You admit that _I_ am right?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Yeah, you're not going to try and use this against me as blackmail or something, are you?" he asked, narrowing his eyes. Hermione let out a soft laugh, making the ties around Draco's heart tighten as he sat there, staring at her. He admired how her skin glowed softly in the light of her wand and how her hair curled in soft waves, resting on her shoulders. His hand seemed to tingle with the need to reach out and softly push the curls behind her ear, gaining his eyes more access to her fair skin.

"Of course not!" she said, leaning forward and throwing her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. Draco stayed rigid in his chair, not expecting to have her body pressed up against his like it was now at her own will. He didn't move, not wishing to end what was happening at that very moment. It was like all his hard work to get close to her was finally paying off at the most unexpected of moments.

Hermione's eyes slid open and she quickly pulled away from him, closing the book on her lap. She bit her lip and avoided Draco's gaze as it rested on her. Briskly getting up from the chair she hugged the book to her chest and walked towards the door. "You coming?" she asked shakily, not turning to face him. Draco sighed lightly, pushing himself up from his chair and following her back towards the heads common room.

The walk back was in complete silence except for the clicking of their shoes against the stone floors. Tension was thickly strung between them when they entered the common room. Draco tossed his robes onto the couch and headed towards his room, stopping before he entered it. "Hermione?" he asked, causing her to pause and turn to him, looking up at him as she bit her lip.

"You called me by my name," she said softly. Draco's lips pulled into a small grin as he took a step towards her. He knew he had her right then by the way she looked at him with her wide brown eyes and her teeth biting down upon her bottom lip. Grinning wider, he stopped before her, tapping his finger down lightly on the book that she had hugged to her chest.

"Don't you want to practice the incantation and go home?" he asked. Hermione eyed him skeptically, looking down.

"But…but…what about the children?" she asked, staring back up at him.

"Do you honestly think we will find them?" he replied. "Why don't we just get ourselves out of here while we can."

"Is that all you think about? _Yourself_?" she asked, disgust filling her voice as she said the last word. Draco groaned, his head falling back. He did not feel like arguing with her at this particular moment.

"Granger, did you not read the whole page?" he asked, exasperated. "It said, that once the spell is learned to reverse the affect, the port will be closed, therefore, everyone who had entered the port, will be thrown back out," he said. Hermione stared at him through blank eyes.

"I…I didn't read that…" she said, causing Draco to nod and cross his arms on his chest.

"Obviously not," he said. "And I do _not_ only care about myself," he said stubbornly. Hermione laughed bitterly.

"Oh give me a break."

"Hermione, would I have been out there looking for the answer with _you_ tonight, if I only cared about myself?" he asked, his gaze placed firmly on her eyes. Biting her lip, she shrugged.

"You called me 'Hermione' again," she said softly.

"So what if I did? It's your name, isn't it?" he spat, only receiving a shrug of her shoulders. Then his voice softened a little bit, saying, "I know this may be hard to believe, for Merlin's sake, it's hard for _me_ to believe, but…I _do_ care about other people, Hermione, _you_ being one of them." Hermione bit her lip again, opening the book to the page that was folded down at the corner.

"Let's study than, shall we?" she asked. Draco smiled jubilantly, walking over to the couch where he sat down. Hermione sat down beside him, placing her robes next to her as Draco scooted closer to her, the cloth of his pants, rubbing up against her legs as he pulled the book over, the front cover resting on his lap as the back cover rested on hers. He hunched over the pages of the book, reading for the incantation again. He finally found it, placing his finger under it. "It's a little complicated but…it's nothing impossible," he said, his eyes scanning the two words.

Hermione read the incantation slowly, stumbling on the words a bit. Draco helped her, sounding out the words slowly, allowing her time to copy him. He smiled softly as he noticed how she was soon saying the incantation smoothly. Leaning back in the seat, he sighed heavily and clasped his hands together on his stomach. "You think we can do it now?" he asked. "Only one of us has to know it anyway," he said. Hermione bit her lip, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Now? Already?" she asked. "But…we've barely practiced!" she said. Sighing again, Draco took the book shutting it.

"Hermione, the worst that can happen is that the spell doesn't work," he explained. "You can even try it on me first," he added. Hermione bit her lip, turning to sit sideways on the couch.

"Are you sure?" she asked softly. Draco nodded. "Really?"

"Yes, Hermione, really," he said.

"You're not afraid?"

"Why should I be? I know how good of a witch you are," he said confidently. Hermione bit her lip, trying to hold back a smile, swallowing softly. Draco pushed himself up in his seat, no longer slouching back as he leaned towards her. He noticed how rigid Hermione had become and he smiled again, something he had become quite used to doing around her these past few days. He looked at her, his eyes raking over her face as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

Hermione gulped lightly again, her teeth biting down harder on her bottom lip. She knew what he was going to do. She knew that this time, she wasn't going to be able to push him away. She knew that when he smiled like that, her throat tightened and her heart clenched, leaving her useless to sanity. She knew that this time…she actually _wanted_ it, yet was too scared to admit it to him.

"Promise you won't push me away again?" he asked in a whisper, his face only inches from hers. Hermione let her lip escape from her teeth and looked down, her finger tracing patterns on her skirt.

"I can't promise anything," she replied, her voice barely audible.

Draco grinned at her answer, lightly placing his index finger under her chin. He lifted her face to look at her for a second before pressing his lips to hers. Hermione's eyes instinctively slipped shut as Draco's warm lips came into contact with her own. She stayed ridged against him, her body not even moving until a chill ran up her back as he started moving his lips against hers, sucking on her bottom lip. She felt his arms slowly snaking around her waist, pulling her closer to him, her clothes barely brushing the fabric of his. Sighing softly in the back of her throat, Draco grinned against her lips, softly sucking on her lip some more, begging for entrance. Without another thought, Hermione unconsciously parted her lips, allowing Draco to slip his tongue in with hers.

Hermione's hand moved to rest on Draco's shoulder as he kissed her. His tongue soon came in contact with hers and she, for the first time, finally started to kiss him back, her lips finally moving against his. She couldn't believe the effect this was having upon her. Her head spun, her heart danced, her insides swam with excite as he held her close. She really _did_ want this. She finally realized that she _did_ like him. After all that useless denial, she decided to accept her thoughts. How could she have been so foolish!

Draco pulled away, licking his swollen lips. "Ready to cast the spell?" he asked, grinning at her through heavy eyes.

* * *

**I wrote this about two weeks ago and have been thinking about making it a little longer since, but...this just seems like a good spot to stop. Short and horribly rushed, I know, but…hey…it's an update. **


	15. Bliss

**Quick update, I know. What's getting into me?**

**Disclaimer: I do NOT own Draco, Hermione, or anything else from Harry Potter. **

_Draco pulled away, licking his swollen lips. "Ready to cast the spell?" he asked, grinning at her through heavy eyes._

Hermione's cheeks flushed a light shade of pink and she looked down, grasping her wand in her hand. She bit her bottom lip nervously, even though it was already stinging and swollen. "I'm ready," she said softly, looking back at him, a smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

It was at that moment that Hermione's smile started to fall.

Draco's mouth had pulled into a smug smirk and he was looking at her through narrowed eyes as he sat there, positioned sideways on the soft black leather couch. Inside he was hysterical, almost shocked that he had finally won his own challenge. She had kissed him back, therefore he had finally gotten her to willingly kiss him. All of his desperate attempts to win her over had at last paid off as he sat there, admiring her soft brown curls and lightly freckled skin. His jubilant eyes stared into hers as she looked at him with curiosity and a little bit of worry.

The head girl shifted in her spot. "Malfoy?"

Instead of answering, the head boy just sat there, not taking his eyes off of her small form. He had begun to think too much about the previous events, thoughts zipping through his head at lightning speed. There was something about that kiss, something about it that was so new to him, so fresh, so _comforting_. His tongue darted out to lick his dry lips again and he bit the inside of his cheek, wondering what it was about her that made the short experience so different…other than the fact that she was and always would be, a _mudblood_.

Suddenly, Draco's eyes widened in fear.

"Malfoy?" Hermione asked again, an eyebrow raising on her forehead. He didn't answer. "Draco?"

He wanted more, plain and simple. It was crystal clear to him now. The only thought buzzing through his mind was pushing her down against the cushions and attacking her mouth with his. To tell the truth, this new revelation actually _frightened_ him. He swallowed softly, his throat dry and parched as he thought over his choices.

A; he could do exactly what hefavored most; snog her senseless. Frowning lightly, he decided that she might not take that too well, even if she had not pushed him away last time. He knew that snogging her would definitely be pushing his boundaries and there was a part of him that wanted to stay on her good side. What part of him that was, he really had no idea. All he knew was that it was foreign and probably a little mental.

B; he could drop the subject and move on with the spell casting. Draco chewed the inside of his cheek a little harder and frowned again. The only thing with that plan, he'd be starving himself from the hopeless pulling in his mind, pulling him to feel his lips on her soft ones once again.

C; he could cast the spell himself, walk away, and proceed to forget that had Hermione ever even existed.

Eh…

Let's keep this realistic, shall we?

Finally breaking from his trance, Draco groaned and put his face in his hands. He rubbed his skin soothingly before sighing heavily, causing Hermione to watch him with raised eyebrows.

"Draco?" she repeated.

"What?" he mumbled into his hands. Hermione inched closer to him.

"A-are you alright?" she asked slowly. He didn't answer, which made her frown at his childish actions. She reached out and grasped his pale and thin wrists, pulling them down away from his equally pale and thin face. "Draco?" she asked quietly, biting her lip, placing a finger under his chin and lifting his face up to look at. "What's wrong?" she asked, her brow furrowed as he looked at her through wide eyes again.

_Oh bugger, not the eyes…_ he thought to himself, his muscles tightening around his throat and heart.

"Draco, please, tell me what is wrong," she pleaded softly, her worried eyes still searching his for answers. Sighing lightly, she pulled her finger away from his chin and sat back, causing him to feel weak from losing her touch so quickly and unexpectedly. She looked at him through tired eyes and an exasperated expression adorning her face. "Draco, have you lost your voice box or some-."

It was simple to say that he couldn't take the feelings boiling inside of him any longer. He had swiftly chosen plan A and put it into action with the greatest of ease. Hermione hadn't even seen it coming, nor expected it to. In one fluid movement, he leaned over and pressed his lips to hers, denying himself the right of ever being comfortably sane again. And as soon as it had happened, as soon as he had granted himself the pleasure of it happening, he was entirely lost in it. His eyes slipped shut and all he could think about was the contact between them, his lips flawlessly fitting right up against hers and just how perfect and beautiful the concept of it was.

If he had gone back about two months before, when they first got into this mess, he would have thought himself crazy. Never had he ever expected in all his life that he would one day, be sitting on a couch with Hermione Know-It-All Granger and engaging in such an act as he currently was. Most likely, he would have thought himself either sick or loony, causing him to lie in bed all day with a bowl of soup perched upon his shrunken belly. Or maybe he would have just let his forehead fall to hit a desk, intent on giving himself lasting brain damage to wash away the unwanted and disturbing thoughts. Who knows? For Merlin's sake, he didn't even know. All he knew was that right at that moment, his brain might start processing just a tad strangely from then on.

Buried deep in the corners of his mind, he wanted to pull away, to forget, to deny everything that he was feeling as he placed his palms on either side of her face. Honestly, what would everyone _say_? Probably something along the lines of "he's finally lost it, send him to St. Mungo's in a straight jacket." He didn't even want to think about what his own parents would say about him going around kissing a mudblood like this. They'd most likely disown him as a son or along the lines of that. He knew he had it coming. One day his parents and friends were going to find out everything, and that day would not be a good one for Draco Malfoy, Slytherin Prince.

But what exactly was he feeling? What was drifting through his crazed thoughts as he slipped one arm around her waist, pulling her closer to him?

Bliss.

Total and complete _bliss_.

Hermione's body flinched with surprise when he practically lunged at her out of the blue. She had not expected him to suddenly kiss her again like that. Actually, she was quite sure the urge to do so had seeped from his system. Apparently, she was wrong. He had his lips firmly pressed up against hers and she sat there frozen, as this time she noticed the desperation in his kiss. What in dear Merlin's name had he been thinking about when he wouldn't talk to her, was one of the many questions she asked herself as she felt him slip an arm around her waist, pulling her body closer.

She honestly thought about pulling away and giving him a good slap across the face. Telling him that doing this out of the blue as he did was just not acceptable and literally, scared her frozen. But, as much as she wanted to, she couldn't even make the first move to push him away and scold him for doing what he was. She was beginning to enjoy it too much and the hope for her gaining her right mind again was just not going to happen. Well, atleast for a little while…or until he did something utterly repulsive.

Breaking her out of her thought process, he moved his lips against hers, opening them slightly so that he could taste her already swollen lips. Finally relaxing, Hermione let out a breath and let her eyes slip shut as he ran his tongue along her lips. She absentmindedly parted her lips and started kissing him back as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, exploring every possible part he could reach. His grip around her waist tightened as he pulled her closer to him, his chest only inches from hers. His heart seemed to burst with pride when she reached up, slipping an arm around his neck and angling her head to the side for better access.

Hermione sighed lightly in the back of her throat, something that Draco did not leave unnoticed. He kissed her harder, his hand that had been resting on her face slowly slid down to her neck to lay limp on the junction of her neck and shoulder. Then before she knew it, he had given her one last tug his way and she was now pressed up against his body. The beating of his heart was fast and hard, pounding against her very being. This only caused her to lose herself even deeper into the kiss and slide another arm around his neck, her fingers tangling themselves in his silky hair on the back of his head.

Being the humans that they were, their lips parted for a second, only enough time for both of them take a few heaving breaths. "Good _Merlin_, Granger," Draco panted, before pushing her down lightly by the shoulders, her back hitting the plush leather cushion. Hermione's eyes widened as he did this and then proceeded to lean down over her, kissing her again with the same desperation as before. She felt the fire in his kisses and was almost worried that she'd melt right down into the couch, helpless. A little bit of fright seeped into her mind as her eyes slipped shut again. Just how far would he go before stopping? Would she even be able to stop him? Did she _want_ to stop him?

She was soon granted all her breathing capabilities as Draco removed his mouth from hers. Though to her own surprise, he didn't pull away, but instead, placed kisses on her jaw and down her neck. Hermione's eyes began to roll back in her head, a smile tugging at her lips as his soft Merlin-sent lips pressed against her neck in the sweetest spots. She gasped lightly when he started sucking on her skin, creating a few small red spots as if he was marking her as his territory. Down to her shoulder, he proceeded, pulling at the fabric of her top to give himself more access to her skin as he marked her as his own.

Without even thinking, Draco's hand slowly slid up her outer thigh and under her skirt. Hermione's eyes shot open at this and she looked down slowly, watching him nip and kiss at the skin over her collarbone. Not a second later, she gasped when his hand came in contact with the hem of her knickers and she hurriedly pressed her hands to his chest, pushing him out from over her. Draco let out a little yelp and tumbled down onto the floor as Hermione quickly sat up, pulling her skirt down.

"Draco!" she scolded, then licked her swollen red lips.

"Yes, Granger?" he asked, his voice flickering with the pain as the back of his head throbbed from hitting the hard wooden floor.

Hermione peeked over the side of the couch and looked at him as he lay there, a smile upon his lips. "What – what did you think you were doing?" she asked, almost yelling at him. Draco gave her a confused look.

"_What_ are you talking about?" Hermione groaned loudly, rolling her eyes lavishly.

"You're _bloody _hand, on my _bloody _thigh, touching my _bloody _knickers, that's what!"

Draco sat up, rubbing the back of his head and chuckling a little. "Oh, yeah, that," he said, as if remembering just at that moment. He looked at her with innocent eyes. "Sorry?" he said, raising his shoulders, only for Hermione to stare at him, almost disgusted.

"Sorry?" she asked exasperatedly, taking a pillow from the couch and swiftly whacking him over the head with it.

"Ow…" Draco mumbled, smoothing out his hair. He glanced up to see the head girl glaring at him. "Hermione…I…" he paused. Apologizing was just not his thing. "You know you liked it," he said smugly. Hermione scoffed and sat back, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Bastard," she said, looking away towards the fire, not being able to stop the grin that threatened her lips. Draco saw this and smiled wider, standing up and brushing himself off.

"Granger, just admit it. You were melting in my arms," he said matter-of-factly as she stared at him, face blank of expression.

"Yes, exactly why I pushed you away, Draco. Oh, you're _so_ clever," she fawned sarcastically, rolling her eyes dramatically again.

Draco grinned, picking up her wand that had somehow landed on the floor. He held it out to her, an eyebrow raised as his mind still reveled on the kisses that had shared just moments ago. Hermione sighed and took her wand from his grasp, saying the spell quietly to herself as if practicing. Taking a deep breath, she stood up and smoothed her clothing out from its wrinkles. She let her eyes slip shut as she stood before him, calming herself down, she lifted her arm slowly and pointed her wand at him as he stood there, wand in hand, a small smirk on his face.

"I can do this," she said slowly, taking a deep breath.

"You can do this," Draco repeated, smiling genuinely at her. Hermione smiled lightly, her eyes opening to rest on him.

"I can," she said, admiring his smile, something that she rarely saw, because it was usually covered with some sort of smug smirk, sneer, or grin.

And before Draco could do anything else, she uttered the spell, a flash of white light bursting out of the end of her wand and swirling up around both of them. The air began to swirl around them and Hermione froze, not wanting to move and end up disrupting anything that should happen. Then there it was again, that familiar feeling of falling into nothingness. Both boy and girl gasped lightly as they fell, their bodies becoming increasingly cold. They breathed heavily, their breath forming ice crystals in the black air before them. And as soon as it had begun, both of them felt their backs land on the leaf littered ground. Simultaneously, groans escaped their lips and they both reached for the back of their heads, rubbing at the throbbing skin.

Hermione's eyes cracked open and she looked around into the darkness. She felt her wand in her hand and muttered a quick "Lumos!" igniting her wand with light. Taking a deep, soothing breath, she sat up and flashed the light to her side, finding nothing but grass, leaves, and a few twigs here and there. As if given new strength, she jumped up and looked around. Lowering her wand, she examined her clothing, finding that she wore the same clothing that she had been wearing before she and Draco had been thrown into the past.

Draco.

Pointing her wand to the other side of her body, she found Draco, lying there on the ground, breathing heavily. Puffs of air could be seen rising from his mouth and she bit her lip, smiling lightly. She walked over to him and kneeled down. "Draco?" she asked, looking at his features, which were now aged aboutthree years more than she had last seen him as. "Draco, we made it," she said happily. Grasping his hand, she pulled him up. He shook his head and smoothed out his cloak.

"Good Merlin, Granger, you did it," he said, amazed, lighting his own wand.

Hermione smiled widely, her eyes running over his handsome features. "_We_ did it," she corrected, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly. Draco was a little stunned at first, but he soon, wrapped his arms around her, hugging her back. He breathed in her sweet scent and sighed lightly, thanking Merlin for letting things work out the right way. "Draco, we're home!" she exclaimed, pulling away and throwing her arms up as she spun around. Draco laughed and smiled sincerely as he watched her hair fan out in the light of their wands. "Can you believe this?" she laughed, stopping in her spot to look at him with an elated expression. Making her way back towards him, she grasped his hands in her own. "We're home," she repeated, filled with a joy that was intoxicating her mind.

"I'm not deaf, Hermione," he said, laughing lightly. Hermione grinned at him and turned towards town, holding her wand out before her as they began walking back to their normal lives. She sighed contentedly. _Normal lives_, she thought and then laughed inwardly. _That'll be hard to get used to._

But the only thing Draco could think about the entire way back, was the fact that Hermione's thin and soft fingers remained tightly laced with his own.

_The End_

**Alright, so that was it. I know I said I was going to continue, I know I said I was thinking about an epilogue, but...my writing has changed so much and I really just want to start over. So yeah...I'm just going to start a whole different story. Same pairing but different plot.**

**If you're wondering why the children aren't there; Hermione and Draco were transported back to the time that they had left. The children, left the day before, therefore, they arrived back, the day before after the portal was closed by the spell.**

**Now, to answer some questions. One of you mentioned that Hermione didn't seem as smart in my fiction as she normally is in the books. The spell they had to learn last chapter, was _completely_ new. They found it in the restricted section, hence the reason why they had never heard of it, read about it, or anything of the sort. No one, not even Hermione, can just know things right off. That's why she studies.**

**Another question, was why Draco had JUST heard the children after so much time. They are transported back to another whole time. Like normal kids, they ran off and finally made their way back for Draco to hear. Same for why they disappeared after Draco heard them. Kids are kids, they like to run off and play around with you. Well...at least I did.**

**Anyway, thank you for sticking with me so long through this story. You guys are great, couldn't have done it without you. Bye! ;)**


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